The Padres’ trade deadline explorations included some talks with the Cubs about first baseman Anthony Rizzo, The Athletic’s Dennis Lin writes as part of a reader mailbag. It isn’t known how far negotiations might have developed between the two sides, and the Cubs eventually ended up moving Rizzo to the Yankees in another deal.
With Rizzo now set to enter the free agent market, it stands to reason that the Padres might still have interest in the veteran, especially since the power is a continued need for the team. While Rizzo’s slugging percentage over the last two seasons is a modest .432 (a significant dropoff from his .513 SLG with the Cubs from 2014-19), the first baseman did hit 22 home runs last year. Rizzo’s power numbers were also markedly better than those of Eric Hosmer, the Padres’ incumbent first baseman.
It’s probably safe to assume that the Padres’ inability to move Hosmer at the deadline contributed to the lack of movement on a potential Rizzo trade. San Diego was reportedly looking into ways to move Hosmer earlier this year, and Lin figures the team will again try to unload Hosmer and/or Wil Myers to alleviate their payroll and luxury tax burdens. Hosmer is still owed $59MM from 2022-25, with a luxury tax number of $18MM based on the annual average value of Hosmer’s original eight-year, $144MM contract.
Even if National League teams have the DH as an extra lineup spot to work with in 2022, Hosmer stands as the largest obstacle to Rizzo or any other first base addition, barring a trade. Since Hosmer has provided barely more than replacement-level production (0.5 total fWAR) over the last four seasons, Rizzo would provide an upgrade, even if Rizzo’s own production has taken a step back over the last two seasons.
Rizzo hit .240/.343/.432 with 33 homers in 819 PA since the start of the 2020 season, good for an above-average but unspectacular 109 wRC+. His hard-hit ball numbers have also been on the decline over the last two seasons, and his nine percent walk rate in 2021 was his lowest since 2012. On the plus side, Rizzo has continued to be one of the game’s tougher hitters to strike out, which would naturally appeal to a Padres team that prizes contact — San Diego has the fourth-lowest strikeout rate of any team in baseball over the last two years.
There’s certainly still enough in Rizzo’s recent track record to merit a multi-year contract in free agency, and the 32-year-old is likely to land a healthy eight-figure salary. While Rizzo wouldn’t necessarily represent huge savings in terms of pure dollars over Hosmer’s deal, the luxury tax savings may make it particularly worthwhile for the Padres. Rizzo also isn’t attached to any draft pick compensation, since his midseason trade makes him ineligible for the qualifying offer.
If Rizzo did happen to wind up back in San Diego, it would represent something of a full circle move after he began his MLB career with the Padres back in 2011. Initially a Red Sox draft pick, Rizzo was dealt to the Padres as part of the Adrian Gonzalez blockbuster in December 2010, and played only one season in San Diego before the Friars shipped him to the Cubs in January 2012. From there, Rizzo ended up becoming a Wrigleyville icon, hitting .272/.372/.489 over parts of 10 seasons in Chicago and playing a major role in the team’s 2016 World Series title.
With power bats standing out as such a need for the Padres, Rizzo might not be the only former trade target who could again emerge on the team’s radar. San Diego also had interest in acquiring Nelson Cruz and Joey Gallo before the two sluggers were respectively dealt to the Rays and Yankees, and Lin believes the Friars might look into either signing Cruz as a free agent (probably again depending on the status of the universal DH) or perhaps working out a Gallo trade with New York.
I don’t understand these stories. What’s the point? I doubt Padres fans are going to feel any better knowing that the front office thought about acquiring a guy 3 months ago.
Rumors
Yeah who cares. I some times stare at a park bench when I’m at a red light.
I will never understand why people complain about additional free content.
People (me included) just like to b*tch about things.
I don’t think he was complaining. Just stating that these “this team looked into this guy at the deadline” articles, are completely pointless at this stage. Pretty much every team that was in contention, looked into every player that was available, on some level. You could write a hundred articles like this.
What until the off-season comes. You will get a hundred articles like this from November to mid January.
Actually, this article is early, not late. If you noticed they used the trade-deadline conversation to cite the Padres interest this upcoming offseason in Rizzo.
@Yankee Clipper- glad to see this article. I would be fine with Anthony Rizzo signing with the Friars in the off-season, if they want they could trade for Joey Gallo also. Corey Seager should be the Yankees off-season target in free agency. A lefty with power that doesn’t strike out so much and that plays shortstop. All needs for the Bombers. It makes too much sense to happen, so it probably won’t.
Kind of. These article goes on to explain why Hosmer is such an obstacle to signing Rizzo. Sooo again the “rumor” doesn’t seem relevant to anything.
They aren’t pointless, they are shedding insight into something the team may explore in the off season if they were willing to do so at the deadline
I enjoy these articles when they include the prospects teams were willing to include in the trade. If it’s useless content like this article I agree. I am sure every playoff contender without a stud first baseman considered Rizzo and checked in on him. Teams knew the cost to bring Rizzo over wouldn’t be very high. I am sure there will be several of these articles about Scherzer as well.
Has anyone else heard these rumors that Eric Hosmer is incredibly unhappy in San Diego and virtually demanding a trade?
If he’s that unhappy he can always opt out of his contract next offseason.
Still, quite the haul for Andrew Cashner.
What were the Padres thinking when they gave him to the Cubs?
I wondered the same. That josh brynes trade was a strange one
Nothing. Still one of our worst trades ever. And that’s saying a lot as a Padre fan.
Byrnes was thinking that Yonder Alonso’s bat would play better in Petco Park.
Buckner… Cashner had a good amount of upside back then and Rizzo hadn’t broken through yet. Theo/Jed made the trade because they had originally drafted him, knew his high character from his cancer recovery and believed he was a piece to build around (along with Lester). Another move Theo made that no one mentions when they’re trashing him.
Any time someone talks about trading Hosmer is a good time!
No more saying “trade Hosmer” unless you have an actual plan of how the Padres would go about doing that.
Texas could take Hosmer. Not because they need or want him but to simply receive prospects with him. I’m sure the Padres would still have to eat a significant portion of the money. How many more times are these 8 year contracts going to back fire before teams smarten up? At a certain point if the Padres have to eat 50% of his money and still have to attach good prospects to get rid of him, is it really worth it? Seattle could be interested in a deeply discounted hosmer but I think Seattle is on the no trade list.
At the time of the signing I think an 8 year contract was the only way the Padres were ever going to be able to sign anyone who was decent. They needed to show commitment after the roster dumps they exhibited prior.
Exactly!
Who cares?!
July 31 deadline a long time ago!!
I like these stories but only when they mention the player(s) the Cubs were asking for in return.
righting a wrong?
And just remember that many were comparing Hosmer and Freeman similarly at the time Hosmer signed his massive contract with the Padres. Hindsight is 20/20
Who was?
I never heard anybody comparing Hosmer to Freeman.
Folks were split 50/50 on whether the Freeman contract was good or not.
Folks were split 50/50 on whether the Hosmer contract was bad or terrible.
See, so they did compare them.
They weren’t split. Nobody, not the writers, or even the pundits and analysts on MLB Network said it was a “good” contract. The kindest thing they said was that it was “surprising” to see a guy who wasn’t even near the top 20 first basemen getting a deal like he was a top 5.
Would love to see screenshots/links of guys who were 50/50 on this.
SDHotDawg
They weren’t split. Nobody, not the writers, or even the pundits and analysts on MLB Network said it was a “good” contract.
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Nor did I say it was a good contract. It was tongue-in-cheek, but I said 50% said it was a bad contract and 50% said it was a terrible contract.
I’ve noticed people on here really struggle with reading comprehension.
Who?
Dave Cameron, who ironically works for the Padres now, immediately panned this signing which many others were inclined to agree with. I’ve never heard the comp to Freeman.
Are you talking about the same Dave Cameron who quit in disgust last week?
You got a link or some kind of proof? I’m selfishly hoping that IF that is true, he goes back to Fangraphs
Fangraphs is dead, you can find the murder weapon buried in Megs backyard if ya got the time
Such an angry little Mariners fan.
Fangraphs will be fine as long as Jay Ben and Dan write
Link? Look it up. He “resigned,” and it was “effective immediately.” Speculation abounds as to why, but most signs point to Preller, because he doesn’t like it when people disagree with him.
If you want to know who was in favour or against hosmer contract.
Search for hosmer in the search bar. Look for when he signed with the Padres. Read the 700 comments. And here’s the part you really need to do. Remember everyone that were convinced he would be a difference maker. When they comment this year tell them they thought the hosmer deal was great and shut up, quit having opinions.
@SDHotDawg look it up? it took you longer to post your stupid comment then just provide a link. I did look for it but I can’t find any credible sources.
Thank you MLBTR gods for a mute button.
@abgb123 …
I don’t enable ignorance and laziness.
Cheerds, Sparky!
Tstats- Danny Scrabbles indeed is still worth the reads I just can’t click on the homepage in fear of seeing that big dumb mug in the catchers mask on the front screen
Jeff Zimmerman is/was my favorite writer of all time and it isn’t even close.
Cameron ofc was a true legend, the Sinatra of the rat pack so to speak………But the good old days are gone and from what I see today they are nowhere close to ever coming back with the “New” direction they chose to take
I don’t have a horse in this race but if you make the claim the burden of proof is on you, not everyone else. And it’s pretty obvious you have the link open in another tab and could copy and paste it here with little to no effort.
You need a link to know Cameron resigned? It was pretty big news.
Do you need a link to confirm the Dodgers won the WS last season?
I don’t. But others might. And if it’s such big news this should be easy for you.
Like I said, I don’t enable ignorance or laziness. You can choose to believe that Cameron didn’t resign and then demand a link out of laziness while implying I’m a liar, or you can look it up. It was on ALL the major sports sites.
It’s not ignorance or laziness to ask for a link. It is laziness to not post it when you have it open in another tab and can copy and paste it in less than 10 seconds.
And I know Cameron resigned but obviously the other guy doesn’t.
They still would have sucked.
I cannot see a 32 year old declining bat 1B getting a $100+ million multi year deal this offseason.
He still has value but more in the line of 4/70 type contract.
I wouldn’t mind if the Yankees re-signed him, but at 3 years, maybe a club opt for a 4th, but no more. He’s already had some prior health issues in addition to his reported offensive decline (back issues).
I definitely liked what I saw from him, @Clip.
The good glove, LH bat, low K% were welcome aesthetically. He made simply *viewing* the Yanks an easier experience.
But I think the Yanks absolutely have to address 2 lineup/position player spots: SS & lead-off. To me those are much more pressing than upgrading 1B. If we are able to first fill our obvious holes then – by all means – bring this guy back.
I don’t think he would be much an improvement over Hosmer. Both are on a downward slide. Keep Hosmer and use the money where it is really needed.
Hey Dunk. You are aware that 8 figures is 10 million to 99 million? So 4/70 is roughly what Mark suggested also…9 figures are the biggies……and if Juan Soto has 2 more years of improvement then 10 figures could be in his wheelhouse… 🙂
Dunk… That’s what the Cubs offered him last spring and he passed.
70,000,000. That’s eight figures.
So Hosmer is still owed $59 million. If the Padres trade him and, for the sake of the question, pick up $30 million of the remaining salary, does that $30 million still count against the SD luxury tax, or does it all rest on the shoulders of the acquiring team? Thanks in advance!
His salary, for tax purposes, is *$144M/8) or $18M/year. If someone picks up $30M, that is $7.5M/year. His net salary, for tax purposes, would be $10.5M
No one wants Eric Hosmer lmao. Unless you’re tying Abrams or Hassell to him, it’s not happening
That Hosmer signing just keeps giving and giving.
How was this team going to place all of these pieces on the roster? I get some other parts would move, but you can only field so many players.
That’s part of my complaint about Preller. He had Cronenworth, and he had Profar to back up Cronenworth, like he did in 2020. Then signed Kim to back up Profar to back up Cronenworth. Then he traded for Frazier to back up Kim, to back up Profar, to back up Cronenworth.
It was a perfect plan, except for the fact that Cronenworth only missed 10 games. The dude does more trading than I do on my rotisserie teams.
its hard to be upset that he’s aquiring depth.
Depth shouldn’t cost 7.5 per, and then another 7.5 to back up that depth
The Profar and Kim signings were just downright awful
its hard to be upset that he’s aquiring depth.
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Ad therein lies the problem. You should be upset at acquiring unneeded depth. Part of the reason that SD has gone from an unexpensive team with a great farm, to one of the most expensive teams in baseball, is because you have $18M being paid to Kim, Frazier and Profar, and you don’t have a starting spot for them.
The same $18M could buy a #2 SP or two setup-level RPs.
Depth at one position is not “depth.”
Profar signing I always thought was a mistake and it looks like the Padres agreed. The Kim signing is looking not great so of course they needed Frazier, they were trying to make the playoffs. All 3 of these players are capable of playing most positions on the field, its depth across the board and just ask the Dodgers what depth does for you..
Yep, that’s what generally happens when a team feels its ready to compete coming out of a rebuild, payroll goes up and the farm system gets exhausted.
You honestly think that this is one of the more expensive teams in baseball because they paid 18mil to 3 players? really?
Blake Snell & Yu Darvish turning into pumpkins for more then half a season was a bigger problem but also you are right that they didn’t have enough arms but I think they mistakenly thought Mackenzie Gore would be that late season kick but he went backwards.
You consider 1st, 2nd, 3rd, ss, RF, LF (maybe a little center) just one position? Because all 3 of those players can play some combination of all of those positions.
Counting on a raw rookie to be a major part of your rotation is a huge mistake. Especially if you want to compete.
There’s a big differnce between throwing a warm body out there and actually being able to play a position. This is the Major Leagues, not the Little Leagues.
This is the problem with the “depth”. It’s totally an illusion because once you get past like the 2-3 players on the bench who theoretically they think could be starters at 2B, the organization is completely devoid of MLB caliber talent to replace anyone. There was nobody they could really turn to at AAA this year when they needed it – which is why what they have isn’t a truly deep roster, it’s just having a couple good backups.
This was especially apparent with the pitching staff where by the end of the year they were just signing guys off the street who had been cut by other teams and then starting them in a playoff race. They had literally no one in the minors who they could throw, so they just needed bodies. Thats just a clear example of a lack of organizational depth.
@CNichols ….
Spot on! Why is it that so many alleged baseball fans don’t seem to understand that “depth” means more than just the 26-man roster? It includes the whole organization, especially the upper levels of the minors. And the Padres have none, especially pitching.
The Padres are ran by a 13 year old kid controlling a team on mlb the show. Looking at stats and saying oh that player is good, I want to trade for him. Trades for 3 1b and 2 DHs because they’re good. Then he realizes they can’t all play the same position.
Schwarber would be much better fit in San Diego than Rizzo returning
The offensive decline with age is a non-factor. He’s battled on and off stints on the IL from last back spasms in his 20’s and one down season doesn’t necessarily constitute an age related trend down.
We already know the impact that shortimer mode had on these guys and it’s a shame Rizzo especially wasn’t resigned to an extension but I’d bet he reverts back to his baseball card stat line next year if he gets a decent multi year deal.
The last person I want to see in a Padre uniform is Joey Gallo. 30HRs and a 40% K-rate still doesn’t work with a .200-ish batting avg. Ask the Yankees.
Hope we don’t trade him actually.
& I honestly don’t think we will.
Gallo is one of the 25 best defensive players in MLB. He has a career OPS of .821. He can move around the diamond & is a lock to hit 40+ jacks playing in The Stadium.
He has some obvious flaws, for sure. But he afforded Judge/Stanton viable protection. I like him out of the 5th/6th spot. & he definitely made our OF defense a lot more palatable.
Gallo is painful to watch at the plate. Just for fun, remove the 5-6 HRs he hit vs Kaprilian this year and then calculate the numbers.
@Ducky I don’t see the Yankees trading Gallo with Gardy in the loom. They won’t get a fair value return for him so might as well see what a Q.O. may bring next year.
Unfortunately, Gallo couldn’t hit water if he feel out of a boat, and as far as “one of the best 25 defensive players in MLB”….he’s paid to hit more than for his glove…a .200 hitter who has the OPS because of his walks and I don’t think he’s paid to walk, he’s paid to hit and hit with power……and his consistency in accomplishing this is poor to say the least…….his strikeouts come continually from the same pitch pattern…..who cares about the 40 “jacks” if they come either with the team losing by 6 or winning by 6 and he’s just padding his stats…….
That being said, the Yankees should’t give him away but this love affair that today’s fans have with exit velocity, launch angle, and the home run, even when the batter is hitting .200 or sub.200 is a luxury this Yankee team can’t afford.
Don’t worry. The Yankees didn’t trade for him just to flip him 4 months later.
Lol!
Rizzo declining numbers the last 2 years and getting a 8 digit deal?? Wow pure insanity
8 digits is 10 mil a year. He will definitely clear that.
I definitely want Seager on the Yankees however they won’t spend the money. Also why would he leave LA? Platoon Wade and Velasquez until Volpe is ready next year. Keep Rizzo and trade Stanton since his value is heading upwards for once. DH Voit next year and DFA Sanchez like yesterday already. Priority number one getting rid of Sanchez.
Seager will not be a Dodger next year
Why would you want the Yankees to acquire another SS who shouldn’t be playing it?
so is 99 mil
You don’t think Rizzo is getting $10 million a year?
Still waiting for SOMEONE, ANYONE to provide actual proof (not speculation or anecdotes) that Manny Machado wouldn’t have signed with the Padres if they hadn’t signed Eric Hosmer first.
Well then you’re going to keep waiting. They aren’t going to say that in public even if it were true.
That’s just urban legend. Tatis had more of a pull for Manny joining than Hosmer lol they have the same agency.
$300 mil was the only pull he listened to
Well I want to find the origin of that legend. And as abgb said, the money was literally the only “pull” the Padres or any other team needed to get Manny.
You won’t find any proof of that. That’s likely just speculation started by some uber-homer Preller fan to defend the Hosmer signing. It’s total BS.
Padres fans should hope he hits like he did in 2020 and then ops out. He’ll “only” be owed $39M, so there’s a chance he might head out.
People used to justify the Hosmer signing saying that without it, Machado would not have joined the team. I am skeptical that it is that hard to persuade players to take big money in sunny Southern California. That being said, at this point, Rizzo is no longer an upgrade. He should have taken the 4 or 5 years at 60 or 70 million that the Cubs were offering but now Swindel blocks his return unless there is a DH. I think Rizzo stays a Yankee on a two-year deal. I have a proposed trade, the Cubs trade Wilson Contreras and Kyle Hendricks for Wil Myers and Eric Abrams. It gets the Padres a solid catcher, a pitcher who will thrive at Petco, and frees up a lot of money at the same time. If Abrams can stay healthy he will be an all-star and Myers will be the Cubs best (and most overpaid) outfielder in the short-term.
Ive had your same thoughts , I think the Angels would also be over anxious to send a strong package for Hendriks+Wilson in the offseason –
Id pit them against each other if I could
Cubs fans seem too close to the sun to realize what’s going to happen this offseason. Elevators going down for awhile before it comes back up, seems all I see from them is the thought of making sudden splashes soon…sorry Cubs fans
I think that’s mostly people that became fans around 2015. Anyone I know that’s been a fan for a decent amount of time sees what’s happening and understands why it’s necessary
That’s good to hear Rando
Maybe I’ve just been hanging around this cite too much
They are going to need the help from the strong fanbase during the down times, it’s not going to be fun but they will be better for it towards in the 2nd half of the decade
That’s CJ Abrams, not “Eric”. Obviously, Abrams would be the enticement to take Myers, who at this point is a bad contract, and Contreras and Hendricks are valuable assets.
Padres say no to that trade
@manny
So Abrams is the enticement to take on Myers? Ok, what’s the enticement to just throw in both Contreras and Hendricks? Yes, something has to be added to get a team to take Hosmer. They give you a low minors lottery ticket for Hosmer and Abrams. Now, lets talk about what you’re trading for two All Star caliber players!
Imagine if the Padres never traded away Rizzo, Trea Turner, Yasmani Grandal, Max Fried, Kluber, Eflin, and a few others. Soo much talent they just completely let slip away yikes. My guess is that they already gave away a bunch of future stars woth all their moves last offseason.
If they hired me as the Padres gm I would’ve gotten the trade completed and brought a World Series to San Diego
I have no clue how Preller still has a job. They trade away their entire farm depth for a 79-83 record. He keeps handing out stupid contracts. 340 million for an injury prone ss/cf/??? who had 4 years of control. Then they axe Tingler instead of the guy giving him crappy and redundant assets. I guess having 7 second baseman is important.
Myers and Hosmer are serviceable+ but their cost is way to high for their performance.
I wouldn’t mind Pittsburgh taking Myers as a salary dump pending on what gets sent along with him.. reasonable place holder for the team and would basically be Pittsburgh buying prospects from the Padres.
I toyed with this idea last year too.. won’t go anywhere but wouldn’t mind it if the pirates don’t send back much of the future.
Reunite Ron Washington and Cruz.
I love these stories. Everyone kicked the tires on everyone. There I fixed it.
Preller would have traded for the guy and then what? What he needed was pitching. Exploring anything but pitching was useless. As it turns out he explored everything but pitching.
He’s traded away more good pitching than he’s acquired. By a long shot.