Robert Suarez could be made available at the trade deadline
The San Diego Padres could part ways with one of their top bullpen arms at the trade deadline. Equipped with a surplus of high-leverage arms, the Padres could make an unexpected decision in order to improve at the deadline.
Sports Illustrated’s Ryan Phillips has proposed a potentially risky trade idea, citing closer Robert Suarez as a potential trade piece. Phillips gave his case for such a daring decision.
“The Padres have four of MLB's best relievers in All-Stars Robert Suarez, Adrian Morejon, and Jason Adam, plus the hard-throwing Jeremiah Estrada,” Phillips wrote. “There is more depth in the minor leagues, which would give them the ability to trade from a strength to get a haul of young players. The top of San Diego's minor league system lacks bats, which has reared its ugly head this season and contributed to the team's awful bench production.”
Since sliding into the closer role last season, Suarez has been elite for the Padres. He notched 36 saves last season, and so far this season leads all of baseball with 30 saves. Additionally, Suarez has been named an All-Star in each of the last two seasons.
Suarez has an $8 million player option on his contract for next season, and given his performance it’s likely that he will opt out and test the free agency waters. This gives the Padres a tough decision on whether or not they want to commit to the 34-year-old closer long-term.
As mentioned by Phillips, the Padres still have plenty of high-leverage arms in their bullpen should Suarez depart. Still in the thick of the National League playoff picture, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team pull off some unexpected trades as they look to make a deep postseason run.
Category: Baseball
