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“Padres-Indians–What To Trade”

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Questions, oh we have questions, now with the revelation that Padres GM-AJ Preller called Chris Antonetti, his counterpart in Cleveland.

Not talking about the weather, but trying to reopen trade talks for one of the Indians front line pitchers, Corey Kluber or Trevor Bauer.

Revisiting what they talked about at the Winter Meetings, when the Indians were in the midst of cleaning out a lot of high priced veteran players, saying the Cleveland market could not sustain the payroll the Tribe had created over the last couple of years of winning the AL Central.

I’ve got questions.

Do the Padres think they are close to being a wild card team, and are now willing to spend some of their farm system currency to get a front line arm to push all those teams in the NL Central and NL East for a wildcard spot this summer?

Are the Padres doing this because they now realize they cannot go thru a 162-game season with all these question marks in the starting rotation?

Are the Indians doing this because management’s mandate is to take the payroll even further lower, after dispatching Edwin Encarnarcion, Yonder Alonso, Lonnie Chisenhall, Yan Gomes,
Cody Allen, Andrew Miller, Michael Brantley and more in the off season?

Will the Padres make the right choice in which outfielder they include in the deal? Will it be the rock-solid consistent Hunter Renfroe? Do they deal deal Manny Margot in center? Can you afford to include Austin Hedges in a trade?

If young pitching has to be part of this, do you dare part with former 1st round pick Calvin Quantrill, who has yet to get to the majors, and whom you paid a combined 14M for (7M-salary-7M tax) when you drafted him?

Is Logan Allen the price you must pay in a package to get an everyday ace like a Bauer-Kluber?

Do you know if Franmil Reyes can hit again this year, like he did last year at the end? You know 29-other teams passed on him two years ago in the Rule 5-minor league draft, so the question begs, is he the real deal?

Are you willing to take on the 57M-left on the Kluber contract, or gamble on the one year left (13M) on the Bauer pact, knowing free agency is just around the corner?

Is the reason Will Myers is suddenly playing center on an experimental basis because Margot is the one to go to the outfield needy Tribe?

Is Renfroe sitting because he is trade bait and you don’t want him hurt or exposed while trying to trade him?

Would you trade Francisco Mejia back to the Tribe, after having dealt Brad Hand and Adam Cimber to Cleveland last summer at deadline day to get him?

Are the Indians playing the Padres vs the Yankees, who need front line arms, and have slugging 3rd baseman Miguel Andujar, 1st baseman Luke Voit and young minor league pitching they could trade?

Lots of questions, waiting for answers, as we await opening day next Thursday in San Diego.

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