The Padres have asked a variety of teams about potential shortstop options, MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell tweets. One player who’s on their list is Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias, who Detroit GM Al Avila said yesterday was drawing interest.
Iglesias, 26, would give the Padres a defense-first option at shortstop, likely leaving the Tigers to entrust the position to Dixon Machado. Iglesias has two years of control remaining, and is projected to make $3.2MM this year through the arbitration process. He batted a modest .255/.306/.336 in 513 plate appearances last year, but, as usual, he produced good value with his glove, with an 11.6 UZR and +3 Defensive Runs Saved.
Cassavell adds that the Padres are still have interest in Hanser Alberto of the Rangers, who has lately been mentioned as a possible trade fit for San Diego for outfielder Travis Jankowski. Like Iglesias, Alberto profiles as a defense-first shortstop. He’s inexperienced, however, and hasn’t hit at all in his brief big-league opportunities, batting .194/.204/.226 in 162 plate appearances in the Majors. He is, however, likely quite familiar to Padres GM A.J. Preller, who was in the Rangers organization when Alberto signed in 2009.
Interesting. I’m not opposed as a Tigers fan. Machado will at least be similar with the glove and may have a shot to hit a bit better.
Not familiar with the Pads system tho. Do they have a spare CF, catcher and/or relief arm?
If I was Jose, I would really encourage the deal to be made. I’m dying to get back home.
Cozart is immensely available on the cheap.
Padres probably arent interested in a rental, if I had to guess
Iglesias is almost a rental.. 2 years of control, Padres probably aren’t competing for 2 years lol
2 years of control = lease?
Cozart is signed through 2018.
Nahhhhh
If Iglesias hit .255/.306 while playing plus defense for us that would be a huge step up after we watched our shortstops struggle to a .241/.282 slash line while playing bad defense last season. If he rebounds to his career averages then we have our SS for next 2 years. Great fit for us. What would we have to give up to get him? Probably going to want an MLB ready CF since they have Jones penciled in as their starting CF. So Jankowski?
Alberto may be a little better than his numbers. He hasn’t had consistent playing time.
If I am Preller I am not trading for Iglesias unless I know 100% sure he is signing an extension.
Preller’s not as smart as you.
Pretty much that. And even then he’s probably not worth Jankowski.
Ryan had to pull out one of his many other accounts. No one else agrees with him except his other accounts.
Does dad let you drive slow on the driveway every Saturday?
Wow you’re paranoid AF man.
Here’s the reason why the padres should not trade for iglasias unless he agrees to an extension as part of the trade.
1. Jankowski has 5 years of team control while adding superb defense and superb base running abilities. You keep saying he’s a 4th OF type. Except no 4th OF is going to give you 30 steals in a season. He also had around 11% walk rate which bodes well for his on base ability.
2. Iglesias is a free agent after 2018. The Padres trade for him and he leaves they wasted the trade. If he’s looking to get paid big bucks the Padres won’t dish out that kind of money. Whether he’s a padre or a tiger he’s hitting FA in 2018 so you either sign him in 2018 or lose players and sign him in 2018. Exact same outcome except one lets us keep Jankowski.
3. Alex Dickerson should be the odd man out. Jankowski and Margot form a formittable outfield defense and bring to the table speed on the base paths which the Padres haven’t had two elite speeds on the bases in a while. Should trade Dickerson to the Orioles for Keegan akin wheeler and a 3rd prospect.
I don’t understand why we are even thinking about trading jankowski. He’s by far the most exciting young prospect we have. I understand Margot is our future but I think jankowski is a better fielder. Jankowski is easily one of the top three fastest MLB players with Hamilton and Gordon and will be a great lead off guy. He is instant offense with his abilty to bunt and steal so when our “power” hitters are slumping, we can still win a game. Margot and jankowski in the outfield easily puts us at defensively a top defensive outfield team. Trading him makes no sense. I rather see rondon, Guerra, and sardines play the ss position then trade for someone if we have to give up jankowski.
Jankowski isn’t a good hitter, and far from the top three fastest players in baseball. Trea Turner and Billy Hamilton and Gordon and probably Moncada and Buxton are faster, by far. Jankowski is a nice fourth outfielder. Good glove, no bat, can run. That’s not a great asset for a rebuilding team.
No bat? Jankowski got on base at a .332 clip in 2016 and if he can cut down on the strikeouts that OBP will be even higher in the future. With his speed that’s a perfect leadoff hitter.
I mostly just meant his contact skills. He makes weak contact. He had a very low hard-hit rate and exit velocity last season, which probably led to his meager 16 XBH in 383 PAs. His iso was .069. That’s like Ben Revere-level bad. Madison Bumgarner had an ISO of .174, for example.
Jankowski hits everything on the ground, and can run, but he’s basically a banjo hitter. Revere is probably the best comp, honestly, or maybe someone like Otis Nixon without the wheels of Nixon.
Also, stealing 30 bases in 42 attempts is not helpful to a team. He’ll need to get way better at stealing bases to be a leadoff hitter.
.069 ISO. Hits everything on the ground. Zero power. Extremely low hard-hit ball rate. He’s a slap hitter. 16 XBH in 383 PAs. Madison Bumgarner’s career ISO of .128 is nearly twice Jankowski’s.
And stealing 30 bases in 42 tries is a bad rate. Jankowski is Ben Revere. Maybe he ends up with Otis Nixon’s career.
It doesn’t matter if he has no power. He’s not paid to hit home runs. He’s paid to get on base and get in scoring position and he does that very well. It is not uncommon for a slap hitter to have success in baseball. Ask Ichiro. Ask Pete Rose. Ask Tony Gwynn.
He did get thrown out a little too much for my taste, but with a success rate of over 70% he was still benefiting us. He’ll learn to get better reads on the pitcher and not TOOTBLAN so much as he grows and matures as a player.
Tony Gwynn was not a slap hitter. There’s a big difference between hitting 350 and 250. Ditto ichiro. It’s not about home runs. It’s doubles and triples too. Jankowski doesn’t hit anything hard. And Rose played in a way different era of baseball.
The other problem of course is how many singles-hitting powerless players can you have on one team? Jankowski and Margot are redundant, then you add Spangenberg and Sardinas, then Asuaje eventually and wow, that’s a great team for the dead ball era. But not for this one.
And Jankowski wasn’t good at scoring runs. 53 runs in 383 PAs translates out to something like 80 runs scored in a full season. Not acceptable for a leadoff hitter. Also, striking out 100 times in 335 ABs isn’t a great skill for a leadoff hitter either.
Yes they were slap hitters. They are living proof that you can be a good player without hitting a bunch of home runs. That is the type of player Jankowski has the potential to be, and with the work ethic to deliver on that potential.
Since Jankowski and Margot play the same position, as with Spangenberg and Sardinas, those five guys will never be in the lineup at the same time. The Padres will get plenty of power from Renfroe, Myers, Dickerson and (to a lesser extent) Solarte.
Jankowski didn’t score many runs because the guys batting behind him weren’t any good. Put actually decent hitters behind him and he’s near the top of the league in runs scored.
I agree. No reason to trade TJ
You must of forgot a guy named Jarrod Dyson
Jankowski, Margot, Renfroe should be the OF the next decade.
Jankowski is not a step up over jacoby jones. They are similar except jankowski is a touch faster and jones has a lot more power. As a tiger fan I’m not in favor of giving up Iglesias for a light hitting speedster unless it’s billy Hamilton
Yes, he is better than JaCoby Jones at this point. Jones has only had a limited number of games in the OF, and strikes out a ton. Jones needs more time in the minors and Detroit needs a CF now. Jones has enough versatility to play any infield position if they acquire a CF. when he’s ready.
Jankowski struck out 100 times last season in 335 ABs. That’s, uh, the very definition of striking out a ton.
I called this earlier, make it happen AA, don’t FAIL.
Iglesias is consistently underrated as a hitter. In over 1400 Pa’s he is a 275 hitter with a 325 OB %. He is one of the fastest right handlers to first base. If he can work on his bunting he can jack his stats even higher.
Not worth to trade TJ , not even to take Iglesias, they are not going to compete, what’s the point
….. Maybe invest in a player they can deal in midseason
No on trading for Iglesias. I actually like him quite a bit but the Padres aren’t going to contend while he is under team control. They would be better off waiting two years and then just signing him and not having to give up prospects for him.
Cool story you keep repeating, but the Pads want a shortstop NOW. Hence, this rumor.
You are wasting your typing. Ryan doesn’t pay attention to facts or common sense. All that matters to him is his opinion.
Pot, meet kettle
The more people keep pushing this rumor the more I am going to keep repeating it.
CF Travis Jankowsky and Brad Hand for SP Mike Pelfrey and RP Mark Lowe… That will get the Padres in the game.
Not only is that not nearly enough for Jankowski and Hand, but why on Earth would the Padres trade either of them for a couple of one year rentals!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
it’s a joke
Yeah, it’s the fact they are one year rentals that makes that trade unacceptable. WOW! talk about a one track mind.
Pelfrey has negative trade. He will only be acquired by a team that agrees to take him as a way of increasing the rest of the return or decreasing the cost to acquire what they really want from the Tigers.
Maybe for Dickerson?
Or we could keep Dickerson and sign Iglesias away from the Tigers in two years. Ever think about that?
Do you think the Padres would be interested in Cozart?
Nope. Padres aren’t interested in rental shortstops.
Not as much as Iglesias, since Cozart is a RENTAL! lol
What about Wilmer Flores from the Mets, or how about trying to get a little more offensive SS like Danny Espinosa.
Both are more utility types and Espinosa is a free agent in one year.
If the Tigers’ goal is to move salary and use the surplus they have at shortstop, the Padres are much better off acquiring Machado and one of the crappy pitchers Detroit is overpaying.
That would work
If jankowski were traded, who would take his place in the outfield? I can’t imagine that they would start Margot or Renfroe immediately at the major league level right at the beginning of the season.
I’m sure Detroit could be convinced to throw in Gose.
I wouldn’t necessarily call Jankowski untouchable but if he is traded we have to get back a player who is good, controllable and fills a need. Iglesias and Alberto do not meet all three of those requirements.
Yeah Ryan, I absolutely agree. The only way a deal makes sense to me is if Detroit adds Matt Manning to it, I don’t care that he is the number #1 prospect in their system. Adam Eaton who does a lot of the same stuff Jankowski is capable of doing & is CONTROLLABLE which is the part everyone is missing, just cost Washington 3 top 100 prospects. Including the number 3 overall. So why should San Diego see that & just settle for Iglesias only? If Detroit includes Manning then I can see this rumor growing some legs, if not then it’s going to be just that a rumor.
Well said, I think it will be just a rumor but maybe one of the 2b/3b traded.
Even then, Iglesias really has no value to us because he’s a two year rental. Rebuilding teams don’t trade controllable players with upside for rental players.
If you think Adam Eaton and Jankowski are similar players that’s just absurd.
There’s no way the Tigers would trade Manning straight up for Jankowski, let along make him the throw-in on a deal for Iglesias.
Why wouldn’t they trade him straight up? They are both former first round draft picks, only difference is Jankowski is already at the big league level contributing gold glove caliber defense & is a menace on the base paths. What makes manning so much better than him right now that “there is no way the Tigers would trade him for Jankowski? Please don’t say it’s because he is Detroit’s number 1 prospect because we all know if he was in The Phillies, Brewers, Red Sox’s, The Dodgers or even the White sox organization he wouldn’t even be a top 5 prospect.