The Baltimore Orioles acquired pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne from the San Diego Padres in a trade earlier this offseason. The two MLB clubs were also apparently discussing a few other deals involving veterans James Shields and Matt Kemp, according to the latest rumors and reports.
A lot of recent rumors have focused on the Orioles' endeavors to sign Yovani Gallardo, Dexter Fowler and a few other free agents, but their recent talks with San Diego show that they're clearly willing to spend as they possess a win-now mentality.
"They talked to the Padres about Andrew Cashner and James Shields, but couldn't come up with the right package," writes Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com. (The trade rumors surrounding the O's and Cashner were reported earlier this offseason.)
"The Orioles' pursuit of another outfielder also led them to the Padres. I've heard that Matt Kemp was discussed again, with San Diego obviously willing to eat some salary."
The O's and Dodgers discussed a deal for Kemp last offseason before he was traded to the Padres, but his contract and health were big concerns for Baltimore. The Oakland Athletics were reportedly close to acquiring Kemp last week, but the team went ahead and grabbed Khris Davis from the Milwaukee Brewers instead.
There could have been a few reasons as to why the O's and Pads couldn't work out a bigger trade than the one for Despaigne. The first is that the Orioles have one of the worst farm systems in the MLB and they may not have enough prospects to strike a deal. And even if they did happen to have enough young talent to sway San Diego, then there may have been issues involving how much salary money the Padres would absorb in any potential deal, as it's clear the Orioles would not inherit every penny of each contract (Kemp is owed $72 million through 2019 and Shields is owed $64 million through 2018).
Or maybe the Padres felt they could get better value for someone like Shields further down the road.
"The feeling among a few executives is that Shields could become a trade deadline option," writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. "The Padres weren't able to move him this offseason because teams were scared by the number of home runs he allows, even at spacious Petco Park. But Shields, who pitched 200 innings for the ninth straight year, was by no means a disaster, and if he starts well, his experience will be attractive to contenders."
Whatever the case, it's clear that the Padres are still looking to rebuild their MLB roster and the Orioles are trying to upgrade even more before the 2016 season begins. Spring training is approaching rapidly, but keep an eye on these two clubs before Opening Day.
