Report: Padres 'open for business,' shopping Brad Hand

The woeful San Diego Padres appear ready to lend a hand to a lucky contender.

Owners of baseball's worst record, the Padres have reportedly told other teams they're already "open for business" some two-plus months away from the July 31 trade deadline, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. Their primary trade chip at this time, per Olney, is left-handed relief ace Brad Hand.

It's unknown if the Padres have had discussions with any teams, or who, if anybody, might be interested in acquiring Hand for the stretch drive.

Since arriving in San Diego one year ago, Hand has morphed into one of the best southpaw relievers in the business. The 27-year-old was one of the few bright spots for the Padres in 2016, when he struck out 111 batters (11.2 per nine innings) to just 36 walks, while posting a 2.92 ERA over an MLB-high 82 appearances.

Hand's been even better in the early stages of 2017, posting a 1.80 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and averaging 11.9 strikeouts per nine in 21 appearances. All of those marks are tops among Padres relievers, while his ERA is lower than every one of the team's starters.

His name previously surfaced in trade rumors prior to spring training, and the Padres would likely be able to get a nice return for his services from a contender, given that left-handed relievers are a premium commodity of late. He'll also come at a cheap cost: Hand's making just $1.375-million this season, and has another two years of arbitration remaining before free agency.

The rebuilding Padres, who opened the season with three Rule 5 draft picks on their roster, have the third-lowest payroll in baseball at $25,908,542, according to Spotrac.