Along with Friday being filled with news of players formally accepting or declining respective qualifying offers, the San Diego Padres continued with their trade activity that’s typically reserved for Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings.
On Thursday, San Diego traded setup man Joaquin Benoit to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for minor league pitcher Enyel De Los Santos and infielder Nelson Ward.
The Padres then followed that by trading closer Craig Kimbrel to the Boston Red Sox on Friday. In return, San Diego received Logan Allen, Carlos Asuaje, Javier Guerra and Manuel Margot.
On the one hand, while trading away a late-inning reliever and closer on back-to-back days may be viewed as a step back, San Diego landed an impressive haul from Boston.
Guerra was named the Red Sox Minor League defensive player of the year, while Margot has a .282 average with 23 home runs, 23 triples, 70 doubles and 132 stolen bases in 342 career Minor League games.
Allen, an 18-year-old left-hander, was taken in the eighth round of the 2015 draft by the Red Sox. He posted a 1.11 ERA over eight combined starts in Rookie Level and Low-A (only one start came in Low-A).
Asuaje hit .251/.334/.374 with eight home runs, seven triples, 23 doubles and 61 RBIs in 131 Double-A games last season.
Benoit is under contract for $7.5 million next season on a club option the Padres exercised in early November. Kimbrel is guaratneed $25 million over the next two years.
His contract also includes a $13 million club option with a $1 million buyout for 2018. This is the second consecutive offseason Kimbrel has been traded.
