Padres attempt to fill long-time need with trade for Freddy Galvis
The San Diego Padres are sick of getting little to no production from shortstop. The team attempted to remedy that Friday, acquiring Freddy Galvis from the Philadelphia Phillies, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
The 28-year-old Galvis hit .255/.309/.382 over 663 plate appearances with Philadelphia last season. He’s arbitration-eligible for 2018, but will be a free-agent following the season.
While Galvis’ numbers weren’t strong last year, he represents a major upgrade for the Padres. The team’s shortstops combined to hit .215/.278/.323 in 2017. That ranked last in the majors.
In return, the Phillies received 21-year-old pitching prospect Enyel De Los Santos. While he has yet to rank on any top-100 prospect lists yet, analysts seem to think he has solid potential.
Enyel De Los Santos is a solid return for the Phillies, in my humble estimation. Chance for two plus pitches, curve flashes above-average, too, but not consistently. Throws a lot of strikes, and command improving.
— Christopher Crawford (Not Adrian Beltre) (@Crawford_MILB) December 15, 2017
Shortstop has long been an issue for the Padres. Since 2000, their best answer at the position was Khalil Greene, who hit .248/.304/.427 with the club, but provided strong defense up the middle. The team is hoping Galvis can provide some stability as they continue their rebuild.
The club has already attempted to plug holes this offseason, picking up third baseman Chase Headley in a trade with the New York Yankees. The Padres are also reportedly trying to recruit first baseman Eric Hosmer, though it’s unclear whether those two moves will be enough to convince him to join San Diego. Galvis and Headley may be upgrades for the Padres, but neither produced exceptional numbers last season.
While the Phillies are hoping on a future asset, the trade does have ramifications for the present. By dealing Galvis, the team can now slot long-time prospect J.P. Crawford at short as a full-time starter in 2018. Crawford struggled in his first taste of the majors, hitting just .214, but the 22-year-old has topped prospect lists for year. With Galvis gone, the starting job belongs to Crawford now.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
