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Report: Shields' $58M price tag the sticking point in White Sox deal

Andy Hayt / Getty Images Sport / Getty

It appears all that stands between James Shields and the South Side is money. A lot of it.

Trade talks between the San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox regarding the 34-year-old, which were first reported Saturday, are "fluid," according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score Chicago. It's the $58 million remaining on his contract, Levine reported, that will ultimately determine whether a trade goes through.

How much of the contract the Padres are looking to pay isn't known, but the White Sox reportedly won't assume responsibility for its entirety.

As for what the Padres would get return, shortstop Tim Anderson - the No. 2 White Sox prospect, according to MLB Pipeline - wouldn't be involved in any trade for Shields. Pitcher Erik Johnson, currently sporting a 3.21 ERA in Triple-A Charlotte, is reportedly likely to be part of a trade, along with lower-level prospects.

There still appears to be a ways to go before any trade is agreed to, though. On Sunday, MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported the Padres were also discussing Shields with other teams.

Shields has performed inconsistently since signing a four-year, $75-million deal with the Padres last offseason. The California native gave up 33 home runs in 2015, the most in all of baseball, but still provides value as a workhorse who logged 200 innings for a ninth straight season last year. This season, Shields owns a 3.06 ERA, but has a 1.299 WHIP.

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said he was open to making a "big move" earlier in the season when his team was surprisingly in first place in the AL Central. Despite declining numbers, Shields would bolster an already stellar rotation that includes left-handers Chris Sale and Jose Quintana.

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