Padres Named Best Fit for 2 Twins All-Stars in Blockbuster Trades

With the MLB trade deadline coming up, the San Diego Padres have a few holes on the roster that the front office needs to deal with.

The biggest priority for this team must be adding more offense, with the Padres being one of the worst hitting teams in baseball. Additionally, the Padres should be looking to add another starting pitcher to the rotation, ideally a potential headliner.

Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has never been shy to make moves in his career, and some believe he could go all-in again this year. So, the big question for the Padres is whether this team is worth selling the very limited farm that they have.

But if Preller can address the main needs in one big swoop, it could make his job easier. And the Minnesota Twins could be the perfect trade partner for the Padres.

ESPN MLB insiders Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan recently linked the Padres to both outfielder Byron Buxton and pitcher Joe Ryan of the Twins. Each player could fill a need for the Padres, and the season could get very interesting if either (or both) came to San Diego.

They gave Buxton a 30% chance of being traded, with Ryan having a 55% chance.

The Case for Byron Buxton on the Padres

Buxton has been linked with the Padres for some time now, but it seems that he will likely remain in Minnesota. His name has been placed in trade talks almost yearly, but Buxton has remained loyal to the Twins and has a no-trade clause.

If he were to chance his mind and decide to leave, San Diego could be a great landing spot for his services. Buxton is currently having an excellent year for Minnesota, hitting .275 with 24 home runs and 40 runs batted in, while posting an OPS of .925.

The All-Star is also on one of the best contracts in baseball, still having him on the books for two seasons at $15 million each year. For his type of production, when healthy, this would be a steal for whatever team he's on.

Injuries have been the big problem for Buxton over his career, but he has been fairly healthy in each of the last two years. While he isn't likely to be moved at the trade deadline, the Padres should at least call the Twins to see what it could take to land him.

The Case for Joe Ryan on the Padrs

The more realistic option between the two stars, Ryan, could be the perfect trade candidate for the Padres to go after. Like Buxton, Ryan has been linked with San Diego in the past, and this could finally be the time for the Twins to move him.

Minnesota almost traded Ryan at the deadline last year, and there are a lot of people around baseball who are surprised he's still with the organization. But Ryan is having another strong year on the mound following his first All-Star appearance last year.

So far, Ryan has thrown 87.1 innings this year, posting an ERA of 2.99 over 16 starts. Ryan would immediately become the ace for the Padres, giving them a front-line starter for the postseason.

The right-hander has a mutual option for $13 million next season, but the Padres may want to extend him if a trade were to happen. Considering all the pitching routes that the Padres could go after this trade deadline, Ryan may be the one who makes the most sense.

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