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The San Diego Padres are one of the best teams in the league, but they still need to make some improvements to overtake the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League.
Earlier this week, I proposed a hypothetical trade that would send Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. to San Diego in a blockbuster deal.
Here's the full hypothetical deal:
- Padres receive: OF Luis Robert Jr.
- White Sox receive: LHP Kash Mayfield, SS/2B Cobb Hightower, RHP Braden Nett
The key to a Padres trade this season would be finding a controllable star to acquire. San Diego is filled with players on expiring contracts, so adding another one in a trade wouldn't make much sense.
That's why the team-controlled Robert makes sense, especially with the gaping hole left in the outfield by the departure of Jurickson Profar.
The trio of prospects going back to Chicago would likely be enough to get the deal done.
Kash Mayfield is one of the higher-potential pitching prospects in baseball. The 20-year-old lefty has multiple plus offerings alongside solid command. Cobb Hightower is another 20-year-old prospect with a lot of potential. He's yet to debut in pro ball, but his raw tools make him quite an intriguing prospect. Braden Nett has a dominant fastball with a few other quality offerings. The righty has been great during his minor league career.
For the Padres, this would be the cost of doing business. Acquiring Robert would give them another star to place in the lineup alongside Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. in the outfield.
Robert hasn't been great this season, but a change of scenery in a winning situation could work wonders for him.
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About the writer
Zach Pressnell is a Newsweek contributor based in Columbus, Ohio. His focus is MLB content. He has an extensive knowledge ... Read more