The San Diego Padres are a team that is dealing with financial constraints, but is also in the mix for a postseason spot. At 45-39, they are just a half-game back of the third National League Wild Card spot.
The Padres need a little bit of help with their starting rotation, however. Adding one more arm could help them get back on track and into a postseason spot.
There will be plenty of rental starters available for San Diego to target at the trade deadline.
Brendan Strieker of FanSided proposed the idea of the Padres making a trade for St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Erick Fedde.
"The Padres will always be one of the most active teams with AJ Preller still at the helm, and they are a perfect match," Strieker writes. "A team looking to acquire a SP to eat innings? Check. A team with financial constraints looking for a cheap contract or a team to eat most of the remaining salary? Check. And a team with a weak farm not looking to break the bank for role players? Check."
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The Padres have been without Joe Musgrove all season and are currently without Michael King. To make matters worse, Dylan Cease has struggled, going 3-7 with a 4.53 ERA in 17 starts.
While Fedde is 3-8 with a 4.56 ERA in the same number of starts, he could still be a good option to plug a hole for the Padres. When he's right, he can eat innings and keep a team competitive in any game.
He was acquired by St. Louis from the Chicago White Sox last year. This year is the final year of his contract, and he shouldn't be overly expensive for another contending team looking for an arm.
Last year, he posted a 3.30 ERA in 31 starts between the Cardinals and White Sox. He is the most likely Cardinal to be traded this summer.
The Padres could easily plug a hole in their rotation by making a move such as this. We'll see if they show interest.
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