The Angels and Padres have discussed a trade recently, potentially involving the Padres’ collection of second basemen, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. Fletcher points out that the Padres have four lefty-hitting infielders who could help the Angels fill their void at second base: Yangervis Solarte, Ryan Schimpf, Cory Spangenberg and Carlos Asuaje.
Of those four, Solarte is the most established hitter, and he’s coming off a strong .286/.341/.467 season. He played primarily third base in 2016, however, and has limited big-league experience at second. Schimpf played 68 games at second in 2016 while having an unusual breakout rookie season in which he batted just .217 but had a remarkable .533 slugging percentage, to go with 20 homers in just 330 plate appearances.
Spangenberg has spent the bulk of his career at second, but he missed most of the 2016 season due to injury and has a more modest track record as a hitter, in both the Majors and the minors. Asuaje, one of the prospects the Padres acquired in the Craig Kimbrel deal, had a good season at Triple-A El Paso in 2016 (batting .321/.378/.473, albeit in a favorable hitting environment) and made his big-league debut.
In return for one of their infielders, Fletcher suggests the Padres could target one of the Angels’ depth starters. Someone like Triple-A lefty Nate Smith might make sense, Fletcher tweets, apparently speculatively.
The Angels’ desire to acquire a second baseman comes as no surprise. They’ve lately been connected to trade targets such as the Phillies’ Cesar Hernandez, as well as free agents like Chase Utley and Stephen Drew. Hernandez is a switch-hitter, while Utley and Drew bat from the left side; a lefty hitter at the keystone would be a better fit for the Angels, who only have one lefty (outfielder Kole Calhoun) among their everyday players.
They have kole Calhoun
Who is a lefty
But the established hitters are all right handed hitters
I’m sorry but the last three seasons he’s put up .272 17HRs, .256 26HRs, .271 18HRs.
He’s fairly established.
kole is an established hitter.
Kole is their only lefty. They are looking to add another lefty hitter.
Yawn.
Nate Smith isn’t worth NEARLY as much as any of the Padres’ infielders! What are you thinking Charlie!?!?
He’s probably worth Spangenberg
Man can’t stay on the field.
As a Yankee fan, I loved Solarte’s game. Hustle player, solid defender and has obviously shown he can handle the bat…in hindsight, the trade for Headley was needed at the time. But the Padres came away with the better player without question. If I’m the angels, I make a play for Solarte.
No one they have is worth Solarte
Thats not true.
Nate Smith, Jamie Barria, Vicente Campos, Connor Justus would be an ok return for Solarte.
LOL those four scrubs for a third baseman with an .808 OPS and three more years of control!?!?!? Try again.
Your lack of knowledge has gone to your head man.
I like how you say .808 OPS while ignoring his defensive limitations, his value on the base paths, and ignore his 2014-2015 season where he played in 152 games in 2015 and 131 in 2014 vs. 109 2016 and in 2015 he posted an OPS of .748 which ranks as average. In 2014 it was .718 with the yankees and .691 with the padres LOL so his OPS being 60 points higher is suddenly the standard? More like an outlier season which he misses time- 53 games. But none of that apparently factors into your thought process. Must be too much for you to handle.
Just when you think he cant get any more wrong Ryan finds new ways to outdo his own ignorance. Bravo.
My lack of knowledge? You’re the one who said that Chapman would be an idiot to not extend with the Cubs for like $65m and look at him now, signing for like $20m more guaranteed.
And as for Solarte, if other teams see him the way you see them and make trade offers accordingly, we are probably better off just keeping Solarte and letting him play until someone makes us a fair offer or until we are contending again (he can’t see free agency with a telescope so us contending before he gets there isn’t too far past reality).
Nope, no one. The only logical deal that makes sense for San Diego is Schimpf of Spangenberg for Alex Meyer. Nobody else is worth paying attention in that farm system.
Meyer isn’t enough to get even those guys lol
Have you seen the Padres’ rotation?! If the Angels send them Matt Shoemaker he instantly becomes their ace
Why would they send the Padres Matt Shoemaker though? They need pitching just as bad as San Diego does, so why get rid of it if you already have it? I think Schimpf & Spangenberg are the best fits for LAA but I think Shoemaker would be an overpay on the Angels end for either one of those guys. SD would have to throw something else in.
Oh I agree with you. I was replying to the poster who said the Angels have nothing worth Solarte. I actually could see the Angels trading Shoemaker if it would bring Asuaje and then sign a Jason Hammel type
Yeah possibly, it would have to be Asuaje + more to get Shoemaker but LAA could entertain that. Might be an evil catch 22 however where you are getting better at second base but you deplete what is already a thin rotation by sending away Shoemaker. I would be very surprised if the Angels dealt him.
Nothing to see here, the teams just don’t match up logically.
Hustle? He got benched for not hustling
Solarte is a bad defender at third or second, is probably the slowest player in all of baseball that isn’t a catcher or named Bartolo Colon. He’s also about to be 30. The bat profiles okay at third but he’s not an asset a rebuilding team should be holding on to.
They all bat left.
All I’m saying is if your going to make a trade for any of those infielders, Solarte would be the target. You don’t have anyone that the Padres would bite on? Then move on and find another solution. I don’t think Utley is the answer there. The matchup makes sense for both parties involved, but I think the Angels need to go another direction.
Matt Thaiss, Jahmai Jones, and Taylor Ward might get them Spangenburg. Probably have to throw in an arm or two as well. Padres won’t be getting much upside out of anything from the Angels.
None of those guys do anything the Padres need. And the Padres are definitely after upside so…
SAN Diego has the worst FO atm wouldn’t be hard to rob them for a spandenburg
Anaheim, Arizona, Cincinnati and Miami would all like to have a word with you outside…
No kidding! @WestCoastRyan
That’s definitely a stretch to call San Diego’s FO the worst in baseball.
They wouldn’t trade those three mentioned
Five players for Spangenberg, who didn’t play last year? Hmm… I doubt that happens.
Lmao if you are serious. Cory is straight A__. I don’t want him with the Angels and cory definitely isn’t worth any of those guys. Rather have Utley.
Thaiss – Is limited to 1B b/C of his D yet he lacks the power of a 1B
Jones – Athletic toolsy OF who struggles with the bat
Ward- All glove, no bat
These guys aren’t much yet they’re the Angels top 3 prospects.
The Angels organization….. LOLZZZZZZ
Look at the clown in the photo.
What are you talking about… he’s done a good job adding pieces and hasn’t made any bad moves. A good example is the jefry marte trade
Brewers should be pushing scooter on the angels. Return shouldn’t have to be much on him considering he’s expendable now.
Let’s see if I have this correct. Fletcher is saying the Padres are in talks to trade a major league 2nd baseman or one of our top infield prospects to the Angels for a AAA pitcher who has struggled to a 5.22 ERA at that level over the past 2 seasons? From an Angels team whose pitching stinks almost as much as the Padres does? That makes ZERO sense.
I know that Smith is a top 10 Angels prospect, but on any other team he would probably not crack the top 20. He is a soft-tossing lefty who reminds me alot of Wade LeBlanc. We know how he turned out. Just say no to soft-tossing lefties.
How about Schimpf for Alex Meyer. Padres can take their chances that Meyer learns to throw strikes and the Angels can take their chances that Schimpf keeps hitting bombs at the rate he did last year.
Exactly! Always cracks me up when Angel fan goes “but he is our #3 prospect”! Hey Angel clown! Your #3 prospect is not a top 20 prospect on any other team.
I was just about to say Alex Meyer would be the only one San Diego should consider
And even he isn’t a top 10 prospect on the Angels
I agree, out of all the infielders they might potentially trade, I think it would be wise for Preller to sell high on Schimpf. If they want to trade another guy like Solarte, they’d be better off looking for other teams to trade with whose farm systems are of a little higher quality.
Spangy is paper machete always hurt
paper machete FTW!!!
Corey Bandageberg.
After looking up and down at the Angels farm system or lack there of, nothing fits what the Padres need or are trying to do. Their top prospects are all positions of strength for SD, first base, outfield & catcher are where a lot of their farm talent is & the Padres have a lot of that so a trade just doesn’t seem logically between these two clubs. The pitching prospects are suspect at best for LAA with alot of health concerns, Preller should look else where.
Yeah there isn’t much the Angels have that would interest anybody in a trade. Nate Smith as a centerpiece is laughable at best.
I’m really curious, as a Padres fan, why any other Padres fans view Spangenberg as much of an asset. He’s not a good defender, not much of a hitter, baserunning is adequate, I guess. Hasn’t played in a year. He just feels like a utility guy to me, except most utility guys can play shortstop, which he can’t.
I keep seeing people saying just sign Utley. Why? He is almost 40, he is going to be looking for 4 to 6 million. He can’t be an every day second baseman any more. And going from the NL to the AL always has a players average go down between 30 and 40 points. Not to mention his age. If they are going to go that route, Singh Akley he will be cheaper and a lot younger. And can play multiple positions.
Utley. 4-6M is cheap for Utley or sign Valbuena. Ackley is A__ just like all these guys except Solarte. He can’t hit in NY, he definitely won’t hit in Anaheim. I’ll take my chances on Utley instead.
Dude please trade for either Hernandez or asuaje both young one is experienced and the other is hot right now and can keep building his skills in the majors
Reds are open to trade Phillips and want little prospects in return