Call it informed speculation, but Jeff Blair wonders if the Jays will make a run at Padres shortstop Khalil Greene. Blair points out that J.P. Ricciardi just missed drafting Greene in 2002.
Greene, 28, is off to a slow start this year (.208/.253/.318 in 170 plate appearances). He won’t get on base, but the power is legit. Greene makes $6.5MM in ’09 before free agent eligibility.
The problem is that the Padres likely hope to be competitive next year, and they don’t have any kind of replacement for Greene waiting in the wings. There are decent young shortstops without starting jobs, guys like Chin-lung Hu and Ronny Cedeno. But why would a team swap a cheap near big-league ready shortstop for Greene? Maybe the Padres will seek such a player in a separate deal and then move Greene. Or, Kevin Towers could sign one of the many free agent shortstops this winter.
