Padres News: Former MVP Infielder Slated as Potential Friars Trade Target

Will it be worth the Padres pullung off the impossible?

The San Diego Padres are among the most underachieving teams in the league thus far. The team that was supposed to dominate in every facet of the diamond is instead scratching and clawing their way back to .500 as of mid-June. 

It's been quite the roller coaster ride for the Friars in 2023, but they are on the verge of turning their fortunes around. Time is on their side, and luck may be on their way, considering how they've played the last handful of weeks. Although the Padres haven't had the best of starts to the season, NL central divisions own, St. Louis Cardinals are having a nightmarish of a season. 

Things aren't going the Cardinals' way, which is why MLB.com expert Will Leitch suggested the team trades away their MVP first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Leitch listed seven teams who might want him, and of course, your Padres landed on the list. 

Padres:

This is perhaps the most underachieving team in baseball other than the Cardinals. But they’ve still got lots of talent and lots of time. Can you

imagine

Goldschmidt in the middle of this lineup? Is it Tatis/Soto/Goldschmidt/Machado/Bogaerts? Goodness. (Admittedly, they have given up a lot of talent in recent years to acquire the likes of Juan Soto, Blake Snell, Josh Hader, and Yu Darvish, so they might not have the kind of pitchers St. Louis wants.)

(via MLB.com)

The Cardinals are in last place in the NL Central and sit 15 games below .500 as of Sunday with a 28-43 record. They started the season with the best odds to win their division, according to Fan Duel Sportsbook at +115. Now they have the fourth-best odds to win the division at +650, with the Brewers, Cubs, and Reds having better odds. 

I'm sure no one, not even the reigning NL MVP, would have thought this type of season would transpire. Still, this is all speculation, but if it were to be real, the front office of the Padres might be their best to try and acquire the 36-year-old superstar. 

Although age may concern some, the Friars have shown they don't care about age. This past offseason, they extended their 36-year-old ace Yu Darvish to a six-year $108 million contract before the start of the season.  

The Padres most likely wouldn't hesitate to do that again with Goldschmidt if the opportunity presented itself. We'll see if any of this becomes a reality a month from now.