Dennis Lin, the San Diego Padres reporter for The Athletic, is reporting that there have been talks between the teams that would be built around Corey Kluber coming to Cincinnati.
San Diego’s interest in Kluber is primarily to flip him, sources say; he does not fit the Padres age-wise. Pads struggling to line up with trade partners. If they could get Kluber, they likely would want top Reds prospect Nick Senzel, whom Cincinnati does not want to move.
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) January 15, 2019
As was written yesterday, the Padres have been interested in Nick Senzel, and even Eugenio Suarez this offseason. They need a third baseman and the Reds seemingly have two of the better options around.
Now, it needs to be noted that all that Lin is reporting that Corey Kluber is really the only name he’s hearing. While he uses Nick Senzel’s name, he’s simply saying that’s the guy the Padres would like in their end of the deal. So much so that he notes the Reds don’t want to move him.
The Reds have been linked with the Indians and Corey Kluber most of the offseason. It seems that if a deal were to happen involving the two straight up, it would have by now. That does mean that it’s possible a third team would need to be involved.
The Padres have one of the best farm systems in baseball. But their top prospect, Fernando Tatis Jr., is much like Nick Senzel. He’s a prospect that the Padres probably aren’t trading in a deal. They, like Cincinnati, have tons of depth in their system beyond the top guy, though. It’s possible that they have players the Indians are interested in that the Reds don’t.
All offseason the Reds have been linked to just about any quality pitcher that has hit the market. The team is still reportedly interested in Sonny Gray, according to Jon Heyman.
Things said to “ramp up” in Sonny Gray trade talks since CC Sabathia was given clearance to pitch. At least 6 teams said to be involved. Reds are one. Padres, Brewers, A’s, Padres, Mariners, Braves among others linked to Sonny.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 14, 2019
It’s clear that Cincinnati is still trying to get the pitching. If the fit simply isn’t there, they’ll look elsewhere. Just like they have been doing since the offseason began. The team has already added 40% of their starting rotation for 2019. And they continue to say that they aren’t done trying to add talent. Spring training begins in a month. It’s going to be an interesting ride between now and then.