1 contender who might acquire Trent Grisham from Padres in trade

The San Diego Padres are always keeping their ears up in search of a big trade that can make them a more viable contender. Even though AJ Preller has stated he wants to go into the season with the current lineup, the idea of trading Trent Grisham has gained steam in recent days.

The latest rumors suggest that Grisham could be had for the right price. While he hit just .184 with 17 home runs last season, he played Gold Glove-level defense. Any team in need of an outfielder with elite defense and some pop might give San Diego a call and try to get them to give up Grisham.

One such team could be the New York Yankees. Not only do they have excess starting pitching that could be traded in the wake of some of their offseason signing, but they have some potential outfield options that could be sent to San Diego as they try to find a center-field replacement.

The Yankees know they have to make some moves in order to keep pace with the Houston Astros in the American League, which could make them a very motivated buyer. The Padres could get a quality arm in exchange for Grisham, which might encourage them to get a deal done.

Can the San Diego Padres trade Trent Grisham to the Yankees?

The Yankees may try to offload Aaron Hicks and his contract onto the Padres, but that might be worth taking if they an get a player like Clarke Schmidt in return. Hicks is just a one-year stopgap who can be replaced, but Schmidt has real potential that can be maximized in San Diego.

The signing of Carlos Rodon means that Schmidt, a former first-round pick, will be squeezed out of the rotation. He's started just five MLB games in three years, mostly being used as a long reliever. However, converting him to a starter makes more sense than trying to shoehorn in Seth Lugo.

Schmidt posted a 3.12 ERA last year, striking out nearly a batter per inning and giving up just five home runs in 58 innings pitches. With a sharp slurve breaking ball that has already proven difficult for MLB hitters to square up, Schmidt might benefit frommoving to a more spacious ballpark in San Diego.

Schmidt would give the Padres a young arm they can trust to get some big outs for a contender while offloading Grisham in the same move. Grisham has had some nice moments in San Diego, but he is clearly expendable right now.