For some bizarre reason the Atlanta Braves are taking offers on shortstop Andrelton Simmons, according to the latest rumors. The San Diego Padres keep popping up as a team who's interested, but this scenario doesn't make any sense for a number of reasons.
Late last night Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported the Padres inquired about Simmons and trade discussions are ongoing, but no deal appears imminent.
And it will likely stay that way. It's hard to envision a scenario at this present moment where the Padres would be able to execute a deal for the 26-year-old Simmons, who is regarded as perhaps the best defensive shortstop in the MLB.
San Diego is in need for a shortstop, but it's been said Atlanta (rightfully so) wants a big return for Simmons. How in the world can the Padres make that happen? They already traded a number of their top prospects to the Braves last season in the deals for Justin Upton and Craig Kimbrel.
Since A.J. Preller took over as general manager in San Diego, the Padres have parted ways with eight of the organization's top-20 prospects as well as two first-round draft picks last June. Even before they even made the trade for Kimbrel just hours before Opening Day, Baseball America ranked the Padres' farm system 24thin the MLB.
Take a look at what rumors are indicating the Braves might want in exchange for Simmons:
"The Mets were a team that called about Simmons in season, but the asking price was said to have been exorbitant," writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. "They will be in contact with the Braves, as they are a good fit, though Atlanta would be most interested in someone from Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Michael Conforto (they have asked about Matz in the past). On paper, the Mets are a better match than the Padres, but San Diego is said to have enough pieces, too."
"Simmons is someone [the Padres would] love to have, but it would take quite a lot."
Joel Sherman of the New York Post added that the Mets inquired today about Simmons' availability and the Braves wanted either Jacob deGrom or Matt Harvey.
It's surprising to hear the Padres "have enough pieces" because right now it doesn't look like they do. They don't have one player on their roster at all comparable to deGrom or Harvey, either.
If Kimbrel (one of the most expensive closers in the MLB) and Upton (an impending free agent) cost San Diego all of that young talent, then Simmons, who is 26 and under club control through 2020 for a total of $53 million, is going to probably command more than those two previous deals.
The only way this might be able to happen is if the Padres offer to take on the contracts of Nick Swisher ($15 million for 2016) and Michael Bourn ($14 million for 2016), kind of like when they absorbed Melvin Upton's onerous deal in the Kimbrel trade last year. Rumors indicated the Braves are looking to move both of those outfielders before 2016.
Then again, it's hard to believe the Braves would move their shortstop of the future to unload $29 million in salary commitments for 2016.
Don't expect San Diego to be a destination for Simmons if Atlanta is serious about moving him, unless, of course, the Padres execute a number of moves to set themselves up to make a deal.
