The San Diego Padres have had “active talks with teams” involving a trade of catcher Nick Hundley, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
Coming off a career year in 2013 when he set career highs in games played, at-bats, hits, home runs and RBI, Hundley has started in four of the Padres’ first 21 games. Though he’s batting .333 early on, he has fallen out of favor and has lost playing time to Yasmani Grandal and Rene Rivera.
Hundley, who just began is seventh season in San Diego, is aware that the Padres have made him available.
“I’ve been around this game too long to speculate on things like that,” Hundley told the Union-Tribune. “Those are decisions that are outside of my pay grade. As an employee of the San Diego Padres, it’s my job to prepare and to help us win. That’s my only job. Whether I’m a Padre for my entire career or not, it’s an irrelevant fact. The only important thing is I come prepared to help us win.”
Reporter Dennis Lin expects the situation to come a head sometime over the next month, when Cameron Maybin and Carlos Quentin return to the team and it is no longer able to carry the trio of catchers.
Hundley, 30, is set to make $4 million in the final year of his three-year deal, and the Padres could be looking to receive a utility infielder in exchange for the veteran backstop. Chase Headley and Everth Cabrera have both dealt with injuries, while Triple-A El Paso prospect Ryan Jackson is out indefinitely with a right wrist sprain, leaving the Padres short on infield depth.
Earlier this month, Padres manager Bud Black denied that Hundley was the team’s third catcher. Among the three players splitting time, Grandal has played in the most games (17), has the most at-bats (42), most hits (11) and most RBI (3). Hundley ranks second in all of those departments, with Rivera having 20 at-bats, three hits and zero RBI. While Hundley may be a better No. 2 catcher, he’ll have more value on the trade market than Rivera.
