Padres rumors: Dinelson Lamet trade is a legitimate possibility

The San Diego Padres are 14-7 and tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers (13-6) for the best in the NL West.

But with Fernando Tatis Jr.’s return still over a month away and Luke Voit joining him on the Injured List, the Padres reportedly think they need to boost their lineup. And according to The Athletic’s Dennis Lin, they plan to do that by dealing Dinelson Lamet:

"“The Padres have been discussing Dinelson Lamet with other teams, per sources. Lamet, who is pitching out of the bullpen, is making $4.775 million in his second-to-last arb year. San Diego would like to create some flexibility for potential reinforcements on offense.”"

Lamet, who signed with the Padres in June 2014 as an international free agent, has had a long and injury-laden road to the majors. Right before he was due to make his debut during the first week of the 2018 season, an MRI revealed that he needed Tommy John surgery instead. He finally debuted midway through the 2019 season and posted a 4.07 ERA over 14 starts.

He was excellent in the shortened 2020 season, posting a 2.09 ERA over 12 starts. But when the postseason rolled around, a biceps injury sidelined him again. He also began the 2021 season on the sidelines with a UCL strain, dealt with forearm tightness when he returned, and pitched as both a starter and reliever.

So far this year, Lamet has only worked out of the bullpen. Over seven appearances, including two games finished, he has a 5.40 ERA. It’s too small of a sample size to gauge how he’ll pitch this season, but it appears that between the rosters reducing to 26 men in May and Lamet’s lengthy injury history, he’s someone the Padres feel they can stand to lose.

Many Padres fans are in favor of the trade, with one calling Lamet a “shell of his former self,” and another saying, “he has no role on this team miss the old Lamet.”