The Padres called the New York Yankees about Miguel Andujar long before committing $300 million to superstar free agent Manny Machado.
The San Diego Padres tried to add a third baseman all winter and even called the New York Yankees about Miguel Andujar, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Nightengale added what kept San Diego from making a deal was its unwillingness to part with its top prospects.
The #Padres tried all winter to make a trade for a third baseman, and talked to the #Yankees about Andujar, but wanted thang onto their top prospects before pursuing Manny
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 22, 2019
It’s no surprise as to why the Padres would be interested in Miguel Andujar, despite his known defensive woes. The 23-year-old finished second in American League Rookie of the Year voting and posted a line of .297/.328/.527. Andujar also slugged 27 home runs with 92 RBI along with 47 doubles, for a grand total of 76 extra base hits. Simply put, GM A.J. Preller must have felt the big bat was worth the coaching it would take to improve Andujar’s defense.
Fast forward to the present and the Padres had to get their third baseman the hard way. Superstar free agent Manny Machado was introduced today after agreeing to a 10-year, $300 million deal with the Friars. That leaves Andujar, whose name also came up in rumored deals for New York Mets hurler Noah Syndergaard, in pinstripes for the time being.
And despite the years and money invested in him, the Padres made the right move in signing Machado instead of trading for Andujar. San Diego has ten prospects in MLB.com’s Top 100 Prospects, seven of whom are pitchers.
Now, consider how much effort the Yankees put into improving the pitching staff this offseason. James Paxton was acquired from the Seattle Mariners. J.A. Happ and CC Sabathia both re-signed as free agents. Adam Ottavino was added to help strengthen an already loaded bullpen.
Asking for anything less than at least one of San Diego’s pitching prospects for Miguel Andujar would have meant the Yankees cheated themselves. Moreover, given how the Padres’ future hinges on the success of their pitching prospects, they were right to refuse any requests for them via trade.
Long story short, in this case, both teams came out winners. Now, let’s see how their respective decisions affect them in 2019.
