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MLB Trade Deadline: 5 trades Padres should make

By Nathaniel Reeves

Aug 8, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Melvin Upton Jr. (2) reacts to a strike call during a ninth inning at bat against the Philadelphia Phillies at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 8, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Melvin Upton Jr. (2) reacts to a strike call during a ninth inning at bat against the Philadelphia Phillies at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Yangervis Solarte (26) doubles in 2 runs in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Yangervis Solarte (26) doubles in 2 runs in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Trade Yangervis Solarte

Solarte is quietly raking at the plate this season and could help a buyer as a useful bench piece or injury replacement. While Solarte has three years of arbitration left, he’s likely not going to be a factor on San Diego’s next competitive team, and has some value due to his recent form.

The 29-year-old third baseman spent several seasons in the minors between three separate organizations before breaking through with the New York Yankees in 2014, and was later part of the Chase Headley deal with San Diego. Solarte gained some league-wide attention with a hot start in New York, and has posted a solid 111 wRC+ for his career according to FanGraphs.

This season, Solarte is putting together easily the best stretch of his career with a 142 wRC+ through 195 plate appearances. After hitting the DL early in the year with a hamstring injury, Solarte has upped his walk rate to over 10 percent and has eight home runs in limited action.

San Diego could certainly find a use for a league-average third baseman under team control for multiple seasons. However, trading Solarte while his value is peaking could also be a smart move, as the Padres may be able to add a couple of low-level prospects to help address the multiple holes in the system.

The New York Mets make the most sense of any contender after losing David Wright for the season, while the Kansas City Royals could also use the depth following Mike Moustakas’ torn ACL.

Next: 3. Sell Derek Norris

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