The San Diego Padres are eager to move some of the pieces they acquired during last winter's massive roster overhaul, and could link up with the Cubs. Chicago is one of the many teams in the hunt for an under-control, young starting pitcher, which the Padres have. Chicago and San Diego have reportedly had talks about some pitchers, and according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Javier Baez came up in the conversation.
The Padres, looking for shortstop, infielders, lefty bats and young controllable pieces while soliciting offers for just about anyone, have talked to the [Cubs] about slugging prospect Javier Baez.
There's potential for a match with the Padres, and the sides have had discussions in recent days. Pitcher Andrew Casher, as a former Cub, is one guy who could fit them. Cubs GM Jed Hoyer had Cashner when he was in San Diego but traded him when he got to Chicago in a deal for Anthony Rizzo.
The two teams have been engaged in dialogue for a while now, with Tyson Ross also among the names discussed. Starlin Castro was another Cubs player that came up in talks, and it appears like there could be a framework for a deal.
Ross' high strike out rate is what makes him very attractive to teams, sporting a K/9 of 9.68, along with a 3.45 ERA and a 2.75 FIP. There isn't too much of a drop off with Cashner though, as he has a 7.87 K/9 ratio and a BB/9 ratio of 2.70 (lower than Ross' 4.18) mark.
From the Padres standpoint, Castro is a proven everyday shortstop who is having a down season, hitting .237 with a .271 on-base percentage. However, he's under contract through 2019, which could solve San Diego's shortstop problem for the foreseeable future. Baez would bring the potential of a top of the line prospect, but also the risk of an unproven bat with a high strikeout rate ( 41.5% in 229 plate appearances in 2014).
The Cubs have a ton of infield prospects, and the Padres have under-control pitching. The two teams clearly match up; and it stands to reason that a deal between them could manifest itself before the deadline passes.