This is not a shocker by any stretch of the imagination: the Padres are letting it be known that outfielder Matt Kemp can be had in a trade.
The hope going into the season from the Padres front office had to be that Kemp would start hot and look like an appealing offensive upgrade to a contender. On that count things are a mixed bag. Kemp’s power numbers are really nice -- 10 homers and a .500 slugging percentage -- but he’s only hitting .250 and has only walked four times in 39 games.
That could appeal to someone -- power is always valuable -- but given that he’s owed $21.5 million this year, next year and for two more years after that, it’s unlikely anyone will give up anything worth a thing unless the Padres eat a ton of that salary. And even then it may not be a lot.
Good luck, Padres. Maybe someone bites. But they’re not going to bite big.