MLB Trade Rumors: Padres looking to acquire Starlin Castro?
By Josh Hill
The MLB season is just one day in, and already the San Diego Padres are looking for another blockbuster deal that could land them another All-Star player.
This winter, the San Diego Padres decided they wanted to spend their way out of the losing funk they’ve been in for far too long — so they went big in an effort to avoid going home in October.
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San Diego went out and acquired Matt Kemp, grabbed Justin Upton off the Braves and even made a pre-Opening Day trade that landed them Craig Kimbrell and Melvin Upton. But if you thought that the Padres were done, then you clearly don’t know their plan of attack.
According to reports on Tuesday, the Padres remain in the market for a trade — despite the fact they’ve already locked down at least five former All-Stars this offseason. Bob Nightengale suggests that if the Padres are looking for a shortstop, then they might give the Chicago Cubs a call about Starlin Castro.
The #Cubs love Addison Russell and believe he's ready so if #Padres inquire on Starlin Castro, he likely would be available.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) April 7, 2015
The Cubs with Addison Russell could be a dangerous team, and it’s clear that Theo Epstein is ready to unload anyone he thinks will hurt the team over the long haul. That includes Starlin Castro, who the Cubs are currently on the hook for until around 2020.
His contract is pretty heavy too, and the Cubs wouldn’t mind getting that off the books when the Padres clearly aren’t worried about paying the luxury tax this season. Chicago is trying to rebuild their way out of their losing ways, while the Padres are simply trying to buy their way out. It’s unclear which strategy will work better — if any at all — but the two paths are crossing here in a trade that could work.
Of course, there are no concrete reports saying that the Padres and Cubs are talking about a trade that involved Starlin Castro. However, it’s a deal that makes sense for both sides, and if Addison Russell is ready to come up and start at shortstop for the Cubs, this could happen.
Starlin Castro needs to bounce back from the disappointing start to his career with the Cubs. He’s been an All-Star, made some great plays and batted well at times, but he wasn’t the savior Chicago wanted him — or needed him — to be. There’s no saying he’ll be that in San Diego, but the Padres are serious about getting better right now, and if they add Castro to an All-Star mix, then they’ll be a serious threat to come out of the West and the National League this year.
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