The San Diego Padres have lofty expectations heading into the 2022 MLB season, and the club is still looking to improve ahead of Opening Day. The latest rumors suggest the Padres could be interested in exploring a trade for Cleveland Guardians' superstar Jose Ramirez, according to Hector Gomez. Gomez indicates the Padres have shown “a lot of interest” in Ramirez in recent days, and could move to make a trade for the star infielder a reality.
SOURCE: The #Padres are showing a lot of interest in making a trade with the #Guardians to get star 3B Jose Ramirez before the Opening Day's deadline.@z101digital @ZDeportes
— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) April 5, 2022
Ramirez and the Guardians had reportedly been engaged in talks over a potential contract extension but the two sides failed to come to terms. With no agreement in sight, and the Guardians unlikely to be in contention for the playoffs anytime soon, it's possible they'd be willing to offload the 29-year-old in exchange for some quality prospects.
Gomez reports that the Padres would be looking to move quickly to land Ramirez, hoping to acquire him ahead of Opening Day. This would be a major acquisition for the Padres, who already have an infield consisting of Manny Machado, the injured Fernando Tatis Jr., Eric Hosmer, and the versatile Jake Cronenworth. Ramirez would most likely slot in at second base if he were to join the Padres, with Cronenworth capable of playing all over the field.
Adding Ramirez to the mix in San Diego would instantly make them threats to win the NL West and possibly the National League pennant. Ramirez is one of baseball's best hitters, and he is coming off an incredible season in 2021. Last year, Ramirez slashed .266/.355/.538 with 36 home runs, 103 RBI, 111 runs, and 27 stolen bases. He has made the All-Star game in three of his last four seasons, excluding the 2020 campaign during which he finished second in AL MVP voting.
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