With the San Diego Padres continuing to struggle in 2016, James Shields' solid start to the year could make him an attractive trade chip for teams seeking help in the starting rotation.
Continue for updates.
Report: White Sox, Padres Discussing Shields
Saturday, May 28
Per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chicago White Sox are engaged in discussions with the Padres about a deal for Shields. Lin noted the talks have "energy" at this point, though it's not certain if anything is close to happening.
The Padres have been looking to trade Shields basically from the moment they signed him in in February 2015. He was supposed to be the anchor of their rotation after general manager A.J. Preller traded for Justin Upton, Matt Kemp and Wil Myers to bolster the lineup.
Instead, the Padres never found their footing, and Shields endured one of his worst seasons in 2015. The right-hander did have 216 strikeouts in 202.1 innings, but he tied Kyle Kendrick for the most home runs allowed (33) and walked a career-high 81 hitters.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported last December the Padres were trying to push Shields on the market while noting he was owed $63 million from 2016-18. The Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox also engaged the Padres in trade talks during spring training, per MLB Network's Jon Heyman.
Shields' value has likely increased so far this season. He's got a 3.06 ERA with 56 strikeouts and 61 hits allowed in 64.2 innings. His salary is paying him like a frontline starter, though he's more like a good No. 3 or 4 at this point in his career.
The White Sox would be a logical fit because they got off to a strong start and have two horses in Chris Sale and Jose Quintana at the top of the rotation, allowing Shields to slot in right behind them without needing to be the face of the group.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments