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Even after adding Matt Kemp, Wil Myers, Justin Upton, Derek Norris, Will Middlebrooks and Craig Kimbrel (as well as signing James Shields), Padres’ general manager A.J. Preller is not satisfied: San Diego could use an upgrade at shortstop, and Preller is now “scouring” the league to find it.
Who is even on the shortstop market less than a week into the season, though? The list of impending free agents is uninspiring except for Ian Desmond and Jimmy Rollins, neither of whom is going anywhere. Elvis Andrus is a possibility, given Preller was the Rangers’ assistant GM, but Andrus also hasn’t hit since 2012 and is owed $120 million over the next eight seasons. The Cubs are telling teams that Starlin Castro is available thanks to their plethora of middle-infield youth, with Addison Russell the likely beneficiary of such a move. Whether the Padres have enough left to get Castro is another question entirely.
Back when he was with San Diego, Cubs’ GM Jed Hoyer traded for Padres’ pitcher Casey Kelly, and Hoyer, assistant GM Jason McLeod, and Cubs’ president Theo Epstein were working for the Red Sox when Kelly was drafted. Their love for catchers who frame well is known, so maybe top prospect Austin Hedges would be of interest. This would just be the framework of a deal for the 25-year-old Castro, though, even if the Cubs were desperate to be rid of him and the $43 million still owed him. The Padres might not have enough left to get him, but then again, who knew they were going to get the best closer in baseball in a deal involving Carlos Quentin?
- Rick Porcello’s $82.5 million extension is an aggressive risk, but it’s one the Red Sox can easily afford to take, and, given their situation, one they should take. Whether or not it will be a good move remains to be seen, but the reasoning is all there, and it all checks out.
- Sidd Finch was a made-up, April Fools’ baseball player who was incredible at everything. Could someone in the media get away with another Finch-like creation in the future?
- Opening Day was kind enough to allow us to confirm our preconceived notions about the 2015 season. Why the rest of the year is even being played out is beyond us.
- Scott Boras is a money-grubbing villain who has caused financial damage to both players and his competition. He is also the greatest defense baseball players have against the owners who are far richer, far more numerous, and exceptionally more villainous.
- Speaking of villains, if you’ve wondered which Game of Thrones characters each MLB team would be, you no longer have to guess.
- As Outsports writes, MLB’s first openly gay umpire was ignored on Opening Day, and that’s precisely how things should be.
- A reminder as you wait in line to pass through a metal detector before MLB games this summer: it’s probably a huge waste of time and money that is less effective than other means of investigation. Go [local team!]
- Normally we don’t care much for RBI, but we do love big shiny numbers, and therefore are curious if Miguel Cabrera has a chance to break the all-time RBI record before he calls it a career.
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