Report: Padres' Renfroe 'popular' in trade talks
San Diego Padres outfielder Hunter Renfroe has been a "popular" target in trade discussions, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
The interest in the 27-year-old outfielder is no surprise as he enters Tuesday's action with 18 home runs and a .898 OPS. The Padres - who have a surplus of outfielders - are trending toward becoming a seller with a 12-game deficit in the NL West, Rosenthal notes.
Renfroe - who's making $582,100 this season - is eligible for arbitration this offseason and is then under club control for three more years.
In addition to Renfore, outfielders Wil Myers, Josh Naylor, Manuel Margot, and Franmil Reyes all have a spot on San Diego's 25-man roster.
Another name that may find a new home before the end of July is closer Kirby Yates. Padres general manager A.J. Preller could try to maximize his value by trading him at the deadline, sources told Rosenthal. However, such a trade would risk upsetting the clubhouse dynamic and Preller would need to get a better return than he did for then-closer Brad Hand in 2018, Rosenthal adds.
Hand was traded to the Cleveland Indians last July along with reliever Adam Cimber for catching prospect Francisco Mejia.
Yates - a free agent after the 2019 campaign - is 23-for-23 in save chances with a sparkling 0.96 ERA.