If teams come calling on Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin, the veteran is willing to think about waiving his no-trade clause to help facilitate a deal, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Quentin’s complete no-trade clause was a big part of why he agreed to sign a team-friendly three-year, $27MM extension with San Diego a couple of years ago, but he would entertain the idea of going elsewhere this summer.
For Quentin to draw interest, of course, he’ll have to start doing better at the plate. He currently owns a .192/.294/.342 slash line with a .637 OPS, exactly 200 points below his career .837 OPS. However, there are no shortage of teams looking for a big bat and an American League team could use Quentin as a DH and give his aching knees a rest. Quentin won’t greenlight any old trade to the AL, but he’ll think about it for some teams.
A trade could put Quentin in a playoff race but it could also carry financial incentive. Quentin makes $9.5MM this year, $8MM in 2015, and has a $10MM mutual option in 2016. That option does not have a buyout, but a $3MM buyout will trigger if he can somehow play 320 games from 2013-15. It might be a longshot regardless — he is 212 games shy of that number — but he might have a shot of reaching 320 games if he plays DH over the next year and a half.
San Diego hasn’t yet approached Quentin about the possibility of a trade, but Heyman writes that they seem to be aware that he’s ready to be reasonable should the situation arise.
My question is who the Padres could get for Carlos Quetin