MLB Trade Rumors 2014: San Diego Padres Could Trade Kyle Blanks, Oakland Athletics Named as Potential Landing Spot
The San Diego Padres are reportedly planning to trade Kyle Blanks, and the Oakland Athletics could be the landing spot for the first baseman.
MLB Daily Dish reported that Carlos Quentin could make his return to the lineup on Tuesday, and Blanks could be the odd man out since the Padres need to clear roster space for Quentin.
Sources indicated that the Padres are also considering demoting Blanks to Triple-A El Paso, but MLB analysts are convinced that the 27-year-old first baseman will be traded anytime soon.
The Padres and the Athletics are reportedly in talks about a potential deal. It is still unknown at this point how close the teams are to striking a trade, but MLB Daily Dish reporter Chris Cotillo revealed that the Athletics could offer Jake Goebbert to the Padres.
"One player that could be involved in talks is Athletics' outfielder Jake Goebbert, according to a baseball source. Goebbert, who is currently at Triple-A Sacramento, has appeared in 31 of the team's 37 games so far this season but was curiously kept out of the lineup on Monday night," Cotillo wrote.
Blanks, who is a .228 hitter with 28 homeruns and 98 RBI in six seasons with the Padres, has only played in five games this season, hitting .200 with no homerun.
It is still unknown at this point how the Athletics are planning to use Blanks as they already have Yoenis Cespedes, Coco Crisp and Josh Reddick manning the outfield.
The Athletics also have Craig Gentry as their fourth outfielder, but CSN Bay Area reported that Oakland could view Blanks as a perfect complement to Brandon Moss. The A's could also send Blanks down into the minors and call him up later in the season, similar to what they did with Moss in 2012.
"He could also serve as outfield depth. Or, the A's could stash Blanks away in the minors in the hopes that the 6-foot-6, 265-pounder can provide some punch down the road, much like Moss did when he was initially called up by Oakland in 2012," CSN Bay Area's Joe Stiglich wrote.