Padres pursued Nolan Arenado, planning to shift him to first base. Salary concerns ultimately derailed the potential blockbuster acquisition.
As the MLB offseason continues, fans are waiting to see what the San Diego Padres will do.
After Ryan O'Hearn signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and with Luis Arraez currently a free agent, perhaps the biggest hole is at first base.
Sure, the Padres can start Gavin Sheets or even slide Jake Cronenworth over to first, although the latter has been linked a lot in potential trades.
Kazuma Okamoto was an option, but he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays.
As it turns out, the Padres had even made an attempt to acquire St. Louis Cardinals veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado, and their plan was to move him to first base, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
"The San Diego Padres were the team besides the Arizona Diamondbacks that mounted the heaviest pursuit of Nolan Arenado, people briefed on the discussions said. With Manny Machado entrenched at third, the Padres intended Arenado to play first base."
So, at least the Padres made a run for Arenado, although he ultimately was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
What Was The Holdup In An Arenado Deal?
Padres GM AJ Preller is usually aggressive and not afraid to spend to make a trade, although Arenado is far from the player he once was, so it makes sense there were some reservations.
Rosenthal added what the holdup was in Arenado coming to the Padres, and it was the salary.
"The holdup, according to those briefed on the talks, was that the Padres were unwilling to take on as much of Arenado’s salary as the D-Backs. And it’s not as if the D-Backs took on a whole lot – the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to pay $31 million of Arenado’s remaining $42 million over the next two years while receiving minor-league right-hander Jack Martinez in return."
Arenado hit just .237 with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs last season in 107 games, and the year before, he played in 152 games and hit .272 with 16 home runs and 71 RBIs, so his production has dropped significantly over the past couple of seasons.
The good news, even though San Diego missed out on Arenado, is the fact that Preller and the front office was trying - and perhaps still is trying - to add a first baseman.
Only time will tell if they can make a deal to bring in somebody else.