Could the San Diego Padres land Astros' Yordan Alvarez? A potent lineup upgrade hinges on overcoming financial hurdles and a depleted farm system.
As long as A.J. Preller is in the San Diego Padres' front office working the phones, they will be linked to some big names in free agency and the trade market.
The sale of the franchise has some clarity with Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones leading the way, although other investors are also involved.
Things were pretty much at a standstill, but the Padres did add veteran right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito, which is a big area of need with Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta dealing with injuries already.
The Padres have gotten off to a strong start, even with Jake Cronenworth, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. not producing much at the plate.
So, as the deadline gets closer (it's still a long way out), the Padres should be factors once again.
One name that could be available is Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez. The Astros have gotten off to a disappointing start and are battling tons of injuries, so questions have surfaced about whether or not Alvarez could be on the move.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report had some fits for a possible Alvarez trade, and, surprise, surprise, the Padres made the list.
The Padres made the list at No. 5, and there are some issues here to making a deal work.
Alvarez signed a six-year, $115 million contract extension in 2022, so he is on the books through the 2028 season.
And, the Padres' farm system is depleted, especially after trading away their top prospect last summer to get Mason Miller (so far, it's worked out for both sides).
Pairing Alvarez with Tatis, Machado, Jackson Merrill and Ramon Laureano would be a scary sight for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"Those other guys are darn good, but a fully functional Alvarez is on his own level as a hitter, and he's proven that this can be especially true in October," Rymer wrote.
Now, how realistic is it? The farm system creates a difficult path to a potential trade, and any deal would likely start with catcher Ethan Salas or top pitcher Kruz Schoolcraft.
Plus, the impending sale complicates things, although the new ownership might be throwing open their checkbook.
"Beyond that, there are the complex matters of the Padres' iffy finances and their upcoming $3.9 billion sale. Maybe the latter will go through before the August 3 trade deadline, but that's a tight window as these things go," Rymer wrote.
The Astros might not move Alvarez anyway, but, if they do open up the market, the Padres should emerge as a contender.