Padres are leaning toward keeping Headley unless a better offer comes along. I didn't think the Os would be trading for him anyways but I think they should offer a good deal without trading Machado and Bundy maybe a Matuz Avery Schoop and then the pick or Arreita/Hoes. Or make a trade with the Angels.

What makes Headley appealing to me is that:

Headley's 28... same age range as Jones, Markakis, and Wieters,

Headley's "under team control" until 2015 and making a manageable $3.475 MM with two arbitration years left,

Headley's a very good defensive third baseman (among the top 5 in MLB), which we lack either at the ML level or in the high minors,

He has a high OBP (.346 lifetime/.363 this season) and if you're on base you can score, and

He is a really good hitter if you disregard games played at Petco Field where he's hit
.235/.324/.341 in his career as opposed to .299/.367/.448 on the road. Nine of His 12 HRs this year have come outside San Diego.

The Orioles will need a third baseman next year because Reynolds will be gone. Betemit's hardly in Headley's class and should be DH-ing anyway. I don't want Duquette to trade Machado or Bundy but most everybody else the Padres might want should be "on the table." We need the guy and he needs to be out of San Diego if he wants to be the All-Star he could be.

"The Padres expect to decide today whether they'll trade third baseman Chase Headley this month, a source tells Passan. Headley, who is under team control through 2014, projects to earn $6.1MM for '13, according to MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. The Padres are growing more leery of trading Headley, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post, a sentiment we've been seeing the last several days from other reports. Sherman does not believe there was much life to talks between the Yankees and Padres about Headley." __ MLBTR

He is a perfect fit, but the Pads just want give in. Would you add Machado to the package of Hoes and Matusz if it gets the deal done? We would still have Schoop of course as he would be replaced in the trade with Machado. I guess it boils down to whether we think Machado will develop into more of a player than Headley?

We could always make no move, and try to add Kepinger as a Free Agent this offseason. He could play some 3b, and even 2B if Roberts is not able to come back.

I would of course take Headley if the price was right. That, for me, would be a trade that did not include the untouchable prospects. If Headley was 3 yrs younger, i would probably make the deal.

What we are seeing as the trade deadline approaches is a depleted trade market for all positions because fewer teams know if they are sellers. The lack of supply has jacked up the asking prices.

This goes without saying: i would make low risk/potential high reward moves that would set us up for next year and beyond. Addition by subtraction. This organization needs to go out and drop money on pieces that will help this team win in the offseason (to answer one of your questions).

Agreed. However, I see NO pieces that will help available via FA this offseason. We could be a year down the road next year at this same spot with all the same holes to fill. We have alot riding on the Machado, Schoops, Hoes, Bundy of the world developing in the next year or so.

As far as subtraction this offseason we should lose the following: Mark Reynolds, Endy Chavez, Nick Johnson, Jim Thome which will open at least 4 spots on the roster. Question is who do we drop money on or acquire? I just do not see ANYTHING out there to help us, so it all must be internal fills, and we know how we have been with that.

Get a couple of these pitchers (Arrieta, Matusz, Britton, Tillman) pitching as they should add some speed/defense to 3B or LF and we might stand a chance.

The key for this team to succeed is for the starting pitching to act like they belong in the major league. If you get solid pitching and with the potential of this offence, you should win more then you loose (for the doubters out there ref. San Francisco).

Sadley, even average FA are better then some of the players on the current roster; however, we need to see what our prospects can do so any FA signing should not block future player.

Next year should be LF some combination of Avery/ Hoes with Reimold in the DH spot. I hope to goodness that they don't go out and sign another Vlad in decline type to clog up DH. Let's see what these young guys with some speed can do to help the offense. 2B/3B fill with a stopgap like Keppinger until Machado is ready. Give Davis a full season at 1B to see if he is the solution or perhaps Mahoney can provide some help next year?

Tillman hopefully has started to put it together, and we need someone out of the Britton, Arrieta, Matusz group to step forward. You are 100% right the solid starting pitching is the key, but you gotta have a top notch defense to go with it, and at best we are as puzzled with our young guys as going into this season. At worse, they have regressed more and we need to find out why?

Without making a move, the 2013 opening day roster would be something like this:

1. Reimold dh
2. Markakis rf
3. Jones cf
4. Davis 1b
5. Wieters c
6. Hardy ss
7. Betemit 3b
8. Hoes lf
9. TGoBR 2b

Avery & Flaherty top your bench. That's not great but there isn't really a gaping hole in that lineup which means you can upgrade just about anywhere. That's much better than absolutely having to get something specific, you can let the market come to you.

there's a longer term issue though. If you trade for Headley and he is the 3rd baseman the next 5 years and Hardy is under contract for at least 2 more years, then Machado and Schoop would be blocked.

Headley 3b - Machado ss - Schoop 2b.

That's pretty fierce.

But I don't see how we get Headley without giving up Machado so it's moot.

Guys like Matusz and Arrieta could really blossom in San Diego. The Padres need a shortstop but I can't see trading Machado. He's three weeks past his 20th birthday, for God's sake.

Jonathan Schoop is the Orioles' third-rated prospect and, like Machado, he was signed as a shortstop. Like Machado, he's 20 years old (21 in October). But, also like Machado, he's unlikely to see the big leagues before September of next year at the earliest.

I think Headley would be a great fit... an accomplished third baseman with power and an ability to get on base. We simply don't have anybody like that.

Let's try this lineup for next year:
1. Markakis RF
2. Headley 3B
3. Reimold DH-LF
4. Jones CF
5. Hardy SS
6. Wieters C
7. Davis 1B/DH
8. Avery LF/some backup catcher
9. Quintanilla/Flaherty/Adams/Roberts... 2B

Baltimore has a backlog of possible starting pitchers... Tilliman, Arrieta, Matusz and Berken are only a few of the names that might follow Chen, Hammel and Britton in next season's rotation. Whoever starts would benefit from better defense and run production. That's what Headley would bring to the table.

I'd offer two starters, a minor league reliever (Schrader?) and Jonathan Schoop for Headley and see what they say. I'd do that today. :)

You writing of M. Reynolds? Headley would make sense. Hopefully DD can work some magic.

Mark Reynolds is in the last couple of months of a 3-year/13.5 MM contract he signed with the Diamondbacks. He's being paid $7.5 MM of that this season and the contract would get him $11 MM in 2013 if the Orioles were to keep him.

The alternative is a $500,000 buyout. If Reynolds were on a pace to hit 37 homers and lead the team in OPS and RBI as he did in 2011, the Orioles might have entertained the notion of re-signing him despite his terrible defense.

They won't pay $11 MM for a part-time player who's hitting .203 with 8 homers, 31 RBI and a .359 slugging percentage. You can bet on it. lol

The Padres are scheduled to play in Cincinnati tonight... only 638 miles from New York.

But Chase Headley is in their lineup... batting third and playing 3B. :)

I live in Cincinnati and I'll be at the Reds game tonight. I'll try to get a good look at Headley in person... just in case he comes to Baltimore ;)

Have a great time and give us a report. Contact us immediately if he's pulled in the third inning for no apparent reason. :)

Headley singled to center with two out in his first AB against the Reds tonight.

I would have traded Arrieta and two prospects for him as long their name is not Bundy or Machado he could have helped us a lot but maybe we can get him in the offseason.

That would still require a trade. We aren't seeing Arrieta or Delmonico now. We are seeing Betemit and Reynolds. I'd rather have Headley.