Report: Padres drawing consistent trade interest in lefty relievers

With pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training in less than two weeks, teams throughout the big leagues are seeking ways to improve their clubs before things get underway, and two of the more popular targets are possessed by the San Diego Padres.

The Padres have been drawing consistent trade interest in two of their left-handed relievers, Brad Hand and Ryan Buchter, reports FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

With teams looking for ways to add lefty relief help to their bullpens without having to pay a premium price for those remaining on the open market, Hand and Buchter seem like viable options.

Both of the southpaws were valuable members of the Padres pen last season.

Both pitchers are under long-term control - Hand for three years, Buchter for five - so the Padres aren't interested in trading either of them unless they receive legitimate prospects in return, sources told Rosenthal.

Lefty relievers have done well on the open market so far this offseason, with Aroldis Chapman, Brett Cecil, Mike Dunn, Marc Rzepczynski, and J.P. Howell all securing major-league deals, but it appears clubs aren't as interested in spending cash on the remaining players in free agency.

Southpaw relievers Jerry Blevins, Craig Breslow, Chris Capuano, Boone Logan, Javier Lopez, and Travis Wood all currently remain unemployed, although most of them have received interest.