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On Tuesday afternoon, ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that the Los Angeles Angels would be willing to part with either Mark Trumbo or Peter Bourjos in a trade if a team would be willing to give up young, controllable pitchers. Earlier today, I wrote that the Pittsburgh Pirates could acquire Trumbo if they desire; now it appears that the San Diego Padres have legitimate interest in Trumbo.
Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reported today that the Padres have some interest in possibly making a trade for Trumbo. The Padres, like every other team, could obviously use the slugger’s power in their lineup, but the problem is that they might not have the pitchers the Angels want to get in return.
Another minor issue for the Friars would be figuring out where Trumbo would fit in defensively. The Padres’ lone “star” player is third baseman Chase Headley, so Trumbo won’t be playing at third unless Headley is traded or switches positions. First base is currently held down by Yonder Alonso, and while he doesn’t have the power that Trumbo does, he is a much better pure hitter. Another option would be for Trumbo to play a corner outfield position, but the Padres would probably try to fit him in at first or third base before putting him in the outfield.
A Headley trade could possibly happen; his name has been in trade rumors for two seasons now, and third base is a very weak position. The Padres may be able to get a team to overpay for Headley in a trade because of how weak the position is overall. There just aren’t many great third basemen right now.
If the Angels like some of the pitchers in the Padres’ organization, then a trade for Trumbo could certainly happen. Until then, it seems unlikely. There are many other teams with better pitching to send to the Angels in exchange for Trumbo’s power.
