It's been said San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller is still being aggressive on the trade market and looking to fill holes on the team's roster. He's apparently looking for a shortstop, but if that doesn't work out, could he search for a leadoff hitter instead?
Manager Bud Black has mainly had outfielder Wil Myers in the leadoff role to start this season, but the 24-year-old has only batted first in 11 career games. A majority of his time in the lineup has been spent as the No. 4, 5 or 6 hitter, but it's likely Black would prefer him at least in the No. 2 hole to move his power a bit down in the order.
"The Padres don't have many positions where they could acquire a player who would also solve their leadoff position outside of shortstop," writes ESPN's Jim Bowden. "The problem is there really aren't any shortstops that are sure-fire leadoff hitters, so the Padres must also keep an eye out for second basemen or center fielders. If they trade for a second baseman, current starter Jedd Gyorko likely would be involved in the deal, if center fielder Wil Myers could be moved to first base."
Bowden suggests Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier, Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis and Washington Nationals outfielder Denard Span as potential trade targets for Preller.
Such options are reasonable considering there has been talk about Myers moving to first, which would free up a spot in center field if a deal were to get worked out for Span, and because Gyorko has sat out three straight games because Black has preferred Yangervis Solarte's hot bat. However, Solarte is regarded as a utility player, so his stay at second base shouldn't be permanent, which could open the door for Dozier or Kipnis.
Dozier is likely wishful thinking, as Bowden notes, because the Twins just inked him to a new deal and have expressed no interest in trading him after his breakout season, unless the Padres would be willing to give up some of their top prospects. However, Preller has given up loads of young talent, so he's probably pumping the breaks on deals that focus on such players.
There's a possibility with Span because he's currently on the shelf until May as he recovers from offseason surgery and prospect Michael Taylor has filled in as a solid option on both sides of the ball (.740 OPS with one home run, six RBIs and two stolen bases in eight games). It's also expected he succeeds Span after the season when the veteran hits the free agent market. Perhaps Preller would be interested in acquiring Span, which would likely move Myers over to first base.
But maybe Kipnis is the top option. After a breakout campaign in 2013, the second baseman battled injuries in 2014 and struggled mightily after signing a $52.5 million extension. If his struggles continue and the team promotes top prospect Francisco Lindor, they could very well look to move Kipnis and his contract. A change of scenery may help the 28-year-old, especially if he's in a lineup with Myers, Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Derek Norris and other established hitters.
He could be an option if Gyorko continues to struggle (he has a career batting average of .229 and is guaranteed $33 million over the next four seasons).
However, Kipnis has logged most of his games as a No. 2 and No. 3 hitter, with only 58 in the leadoff spot.
It's unknown who exactly Preller is looking for, but based on his moves throughout the offseason he's bound to surprise everybody in some capacity.
