MLB Trade Rumors: Christian Vázquez Deal Discussed By Twins, Padres Amid Free Agency

It turns out the Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t the only team in the NL West permitted to make offseason moves.

According to Dan Hayes and Dennis Lin of The Athletic, “The Minnesota Twins and San Diego Padres have spoken about a potential trade that would send veteran catcher Christian Vázquez to San Diego… No deal was considered imminent Wednesday, but there appeared to be motivation on both sides to continue talking.”

Vázquez, 34, hit .221 with seven homers, 27 RBI and 29 runs last season. So no, he’s not exactly an impact player on par with Rōki Sasaki, Blake Snell, Tanner Scott or Teoscar Hernández, but he does fill a need for a Padres team looking for a potential upgrade at the catcher position over the incumbent, Luis Campusano (.227 with eight homers and 40 RBI).

In fact, the only signing or trade the Padres have made all winter is the signing of veteran catcher Martín Maldonado to a minor-league contract. For a Padres team that has been incredibly active on the free agency and trade market in recent years, the current offseason has been something of a dud.

Granted, the Padres will return the bones of a team that won 93 games last season, eliminated the Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card Round and took the eventual champion Dodgers to Game 5 of the NLDS.

But the Padres haven’t gained any ground on their rivals to the north.

As for Vázquez, Hayes and Lin reported that a “key sticking point in talks between the teams is believed to be how much of Vázquez’s contract San Diego would absorb in a possible exchange. The Padres, who still have multiple needs after missing out on a potential ace in Roki Sasaki, are currently projected to be over the luxury tax threshold.”

In other words, the splashy moves aren’t coming this winter. But Vázquez could still be a potential upgrade at a position of need.