Buster Olney probably doesn’t know it yet, but CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman reports that the Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Indians, Orioles, Pirates and at least two other teams have “some level of interest in” Padres third baseman Chase Headley.
The 28-year-old Headley should have been the Padres’ All-Star on merit. He’s hit .271/.373/.421 with eight homers, 42 RBI and 10 steals this season. Last year, he hit .330/.399/.465 outside of Petco Park, and he’s at .275/.378/.471 in road games this year.
The Padres are sure to put a high price on Headley. He’s making a modest $3.475 million this year and probably won’t get much more than $5 million in arbitration next year. He won’t be a free agent until after the 2014 season.
Pittsburgh would certainly be an interesting destination for Headley. The Padres would surely like to get their hands on a couple of the Pirates’ better pitching prospects, and the Pirates would stand to upgrade not only their offense but also their defense by moving Pedro Alvarez to first base.
Alas, he’d probably help the Dodgers more than any other team. Not only have they gotten little out of third base, but Headley has hit .327/.409/.509 in 110 career at-bats at Dodger Stadium.