The San Diego Padres have emerged as the most serious suitor for Cleveland Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer, though no deal is close, sources told Jon Morosi of MLB.com.
The Indians are believed to be seeking MLB talent - preferably an impact bat - in any trade for Bauer. The former All-Star has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining on his contract before he can hit the open market.
The Padres have a slew of young position players they could deal, including infielder Luis Urias and outfielders Franmil Reyes and Hunter Renfroe. Urias has spent all but 11 games this year in Triple-A, while the other two have hit 26 and 27 home runs this season, respectively.
Bauer is one of the top pitchers on the trade market. The 28-year-old owns a 3.65 ERA across 138 innings in 2019. He finished sixth in American League Cy Young voting last year, when he authored a 2.21 ERA.
Despite the budget constraints that made them shed salary in the offseason, the Indians are 55-40 and hold the first wild-card spot in the AL. They rank just 10th out of 15 teams in runs scored, though.
The Padres are 46-50 and stuck behind a handful of teams in the National League wild-card chase.
