Carlos Quentin Trade
by ADLC on Dec 31, 2025 1:55 PM EST
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The Padres traded a pair of AAA pitchers, Simon Castro and Pedro Hernandez, to the White Sox for Outfielder Carlos Quentin.
I am a little surprised that this was all Chicago got, Castro has kind of stagnated as a prospect and Hernandez isn't one, while Quentin has hit 20 HR the last four years while missing quite a bit of time to random injuries.
It's also odd to see the Padres adding salary based on their other moves this offseason, as Quentin is probably due a 2-3m raise in arbitration.
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Agreed - Strange trade for both sides
I guess the Pads think they can get more for Quentin around July 31? They are in a weak division but I don’t think this move makes them contenders.
I know the Sox are looking to trim payroll, but this was a pretty bad move.
by guru4u on Dec 31, 2025 2:00 PM EST reply actions
The way I look at it is, Padres get a great buy low with a potential stud slugger who’s been slowed down by injuries but will be motivated in his free agent season.
They either trade him for more at the deadline like you said, or they keep him all season and helps the team stay very competitive in a weak NL West. And then get better compensation for him in the offseason
by phightins09 on Dec 31, 2025 2:30 PM EST up reply actions
I can't think of a worse park to watch him play defense in than Petco.
by mick11 on Dec 31, 2025 2:40 PM EST up reply actions
probably one of the last things they are worrying about..but quentin was actually significantly better this year in UZR..not negative but actually in the middle of the pack
by phightins09 on Dec 31, 2025 3:55 PM EST up reply actions
I watched him play every day out there for 4 years.
He’s terrible. UZR over that same period would agree.
by mick11 on Dec 31, 2025 4:03 PM EST up reply actions
His offense is going to take a hit as well
And that is really going to kill his trade value by midseason.
by cookiedabookie on Dec 31, 2025 5:33 PM EST up reply actions
Ha ha
Sorry CDB but, do you really think other, major league GMs are dumber than most of us and, don’t understand basic differnces is ballparks? Shoot, maybe you are right but, that still makes me laugh.
Happy Holliday's everybody. Be safe and, enjoy! - Case
by casejud on Dec 31, 2025 7:29 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah I'm not sure there are any GMs that ignore park factors
But if they do exist, they would probably be the easiest guys to take advantage of in a trade, so the fact that they wouldn’t be interested in Quentin would be a negative I guess.
by nixa37 on Dec 31, 2025 7:42 PM EST up reply actions
Then again
. . one could argue that this is just what heppened in the Lotos deal, in reverse. I think they planned to trade overrated pitchers (not picking on Latos speciifically but, all Padre pitchers are going to be overrated by thier numbers) and aquire hitters for them.
Happy Holliday's everybody. Be safe and, enjoy! - Case
by casejud on Dec 31, 2025 8:08 PM EST up reply actions
not necessarily
If that was true you would expect drastic home/road splits…yet that hasn’t been the case. Reality is, the Padres have been quite adept at drafting & developing pitching as well as finding good FA talent… Don’t sleep on the fact that Darren Balsley is one the best pitching coaches in baseball.
-peter
by PeterF on Jan 1, 2026 12:52 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
Good!
that just adds to my point though maybe. It is more than just the park tyhat makes them have solid pitching depth that they can and should deal from. Latos escaping having better numbers at hom doesn’t change the fact that park has a great effect on surface statistics and, perception of talent level, of the pitchers and the hitters - pitchers up, hitters down.
Happy Holliday's everybody. Be safe and, enjoy! - Case
by casejud on Jan 1, 2026 1:05 PM EST up reply actions
apparently i have much less faith in them lol
by cookiedabookie on Dec 31, 2025 9:58 PM EST up reply actions
That’s it? Pretty shoddy return for Chicago. I’d like the move a lot if I was a Padres fan.
by rdf8585 on Dec 31, 2025 2:25 PM EST reply actions
eh
i wouldn’t be too excited about it if i were the Padres
Quentin is a bad defender, and Petco’s spacious park is only going to make that look worse
also, if his BABIP was only .250 in a park like US Cellular, i shudder to think what Petco is going to do to his BA, especially with his IFFB% and FB% both trending up in recent years. not to mention, his strikeout rate has also been going in the wrong direction.
the good news is that the power is legit, and i don’t really see Quentin’s power numbers really falling in Petco all that much, what with his HR generally being pulled to left field
by blue bulldog on Dec 31, 2025 3:37 PM EST up reply actions
i should add that
there’s a reason even though the whole world knows the White Sox are shopping players, Quentin could only net such a paltry return
by blue bulldog on Dec 31, 2025 3:38 PM EST up reply actions
He'll be paid essentially what he's worth and is a free agent at the end of the year.
What was he going to bring? If either of these pitchers reaches the big leagues it’s a good trade for the Sox.
by mick11 on Dec 31, 2025 3:57 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
-1
Happy Holliday's everybody. Be safe and, enjoy! - Case
by casejud on Dec 31, 2025 7:18 PM EST up reply actions
that was my point
he wasn’t worth much, and thus, was not traded for much
by blue bulldog on Dec 31, 2025 8:16 PM EST up reply actions
I suppose
That is one way of looking at it. I like Kenny Williams but, I don’t know If i guive him the benifit of the doubt here. I think he could have got more but, then again maybe he really like Castro. Like I do.
I guess some of disagree on Quentin’s relative abilities though. I tghink he’ a hell of a hitter myself but, apparentlty you guys don’t care for him.
Happy Holliday's everybody. Be safe and, enjoy! - Case
by casejud on Dec 31, 2025 8:32 PM EST up reply actions
As a Padres Fan...
I think we got the better end of the deal here, since Castro has fallen so far back, and I had never even heard of the other pitcher. And yes there is most definitely a future deal here, we will trade Quentin at the deadline for a prospect if he’s hitting well. The one thing i’m worried about is that he might not hit well in Petco, no one will want to trade for a guy hitting .220 at the deadline when they’re looking for an upgrade in RF. Also, his defense will be exposed in Petco, which will really hurt us now as the one thing we’re not terrible at is we have good pitching and defense.
by Noah McKinnie Braun on Dec 31, 2025 2:42 PM EST reply actions
As a Padre fan...
. . cheer up!
Quentin has the talent to hit a lot more then .220 and, you should maybe be excited to have a guy come in who actually has the potential to put some runs on the board. I’d take a bit of hit on defense for something like that … especially at ZERO risk! ! !
Great trade for Padres and, they still have great pitching and defense.
Happy Holliday's everybody. Be safe and, enjoy! - Case
by casejud on Dec 31, 2025 7:21 PM EST up reply actions
US Cellular ranked fifth in MLB in HR/GM in 2011 and routinely ranks high in scoring..
even considering the ineptness of the Sox’ lineup the last couple of years.
Quentin is clearly a product of his home ball park, he’s hit 59 of his 107 career AL homers at home.
He’s not that good, and playing in Petco will definitely showcase the overall weaknesses in his game.
by Kelsdad on Dec 31, 2025 2:55 PM EST reply actions
ummm
59 out of 107 is basically half…
by Trashman on Dec 31, 2025 3:47 PM EST up reply actions 5 recs
replied to you under this
"Hello. My name is Matthew Berry. I am on a Fantasy Jihad. Prepare to die!"
by Dominatio on Dec 31, 2025 4:53 PM EST up reply actions
1. “Quentin is clearly a product of his home ball park, he’s hit 59 of his 107 career AL homers at home.” … he hit just a little more than half of his career AL homers at home so he’s a product of his home park? really?
2. .214 AVG 7 HR .688 OPS = Quentin’s Home Stats in 2011
.294 A 17 HR .989 OPS = Quentin’s Away Stats in 2011
3. The bottom line here is the Padres gave up a couple of expendable prospects that were’t even top 20 in their system for a good slugger whose contract at probably 1 year $8M will carry very little risk and if the team is not in the playoff race will almost certainly net them at least 1 prospect at this year’s trade deadline who is worth more than the 2 they gave up in this trade.
"Hello. My name is Matthew Berry. I am on a Fantasy Jihad. Prepare to die!"
by Dominatio on Dec 31, 2025 3:29 PM EST reply actions 4 recs
Kenny Williams taken to cleaners again
While Quentin is an injury risk, he can also put up world-class slugging numbers when healthy, and with his upside, hanging on to him until the trade deadline provides some chance of getting a good return.
Instead, Williams got Padre leftovers.
by Rotofan on Dec 31, 2025 3:37 PM EST reply actions
Agreed
Castro and Hernandez? Really.
Doubt he gets Cespedes either. GM’s don’t seem to think like that. Even Billy Beane, because if Beane did, I’d call Solar to the A’s a basic lock considering the amount of salary they’ve shed (not that it’s been a salary dumb; just saying).
by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Dec 31, 2025 4:20 PM EST up reply actions
Nice return
for an injury prone awful outfielder and streaky hitter 1 year from free agency.
by Mick Mac on Dec 31, 2025 3:51 PM EST reply actions
I wouldn't call it a "nice" return, but hey, it's something
Just not impressed with what I saw out of Castro last year (especially compared to what he looked like the year before), but so much of the equation with Castro is mechanics, and the White Sox have had success in figuring those types out. He’s more lottery ticket than premo prospect at this point, but there is some interesting upside there.
by mrkupe on Dec 31, 2025 4:18 PM EST up reply actions
Exactly.
I think that’s the part of the equation people aren’t getting. There’s a decent chance this turns out into a good pickup for White Sox.
Another point is, the farm is so deep we’re going to start losing these guys to Rule 5 in the coming years. Better to trade away the pitchers who’ll stick and leave the limited upside position prospects like Matt Clark. Guys who won’t hold down a job all season and we’ll get back.
"When you find your way. Then you see it disappear."
by padmadfan on Jan 1, 2026 9:36 AM EST up reply actions
trade Latos + acquire Quentin = I have no idea what they're doing
but it doesn’t look like rebuilding.
by PrincetonCubs on Dec 31, 2025 4:25 PM EST reply actions
Flippin' Q
I have to think the Pads just shed excess minor league depth to get a potentially valuable trade chip. Quentin could be fairly valuable in July if he doesn’t break any limbs between now and then.
by Caesar Tovar on Dec 31, 2025 4:43 PM EST up reply actions
that's true
and the same could be said for Street, I suppose. And they got both those guys for not all that much…still seems like a risk that they wouldn’t be able to unload them.
by PrincetonCubs on Dec 31, 2025 4:50 PM EST up reply actions
Taking risks is what its all about
What they are doing and, I’m not trying to be snarky or anything, is trying to be really creative and trying to win. I like thier pan and, I think they have gotten better..
Happy Holliday's everybody. Be safe and, enjoy! - Case
by casejud on Dec 31, 2025 7:26 PM EST up reply actions
pretty smart
to add a piece they can sell at the deadline. At first, it looks like they’ve deviated from their rebuilding plan, but I think this is a clever way to go about it.
by Caesar Tovar on Dec 31, 2025 7:48 PM EST up reply actions
Yes Sir
I think the Pads are looking to put a good team on the field as a big, plan A and to deal him at the deadline as a far distant, plan B. They improved thier lineup with a solid piece, in his prime, at a time he is undervalued and, didn’t give up any of thier top 20 prospects to do so. Excellent work in my opinion.
Happy Holliday's everybody. Be safe and, enjoy! - Case
by casejud on Dec 31, 2025 8:06 PM EST up reply actions
Ok, you win :)
I’d better admit defeat and, stop this or, it could theoretically go on forever mick11.
Happy Holliday's everybody. Be safe and, enjoy! - Case
by casejud on Dec 31, 2025 8:33 PM EST up reply actions
Seriously, it was something the Sox had to do.
I like Q, most Sox fans do. We have a young Cuban player we paid a rather large bonus to and it’s time to see what he brings. His ceiling is probably a little higher than Q’s and right now his salary is a bargain. You dumped Peavy’s salary on us, it’s only fair we try to dump some on you.
by mick11 on Dec 31, 2025 8:54 PM EST up reply actions
The Tank
I’ve been easily the biggest supporter of Dayan :“The Cuban Tank” Viciedo of anybody (ranked him top 40 player last year) so, I can see it from that point of view. Wanting to move someone does not = give them away, optimally, though does it?
I’m glad it works for you as a White Sox fan though because, from a Padre prospective it works too - a relatively free, good major league player! - cool
Happy Holliday's everybody. Be safe and, enjoy! - Case
by casejud on Dec 31, 2025 11:07 PM EST up reply actions
I hear you
I think a more compelling argument to be made is that they are going about rebuilding in a creative way…I don’t think trading away Latos (no matter how close the prospects are) and not signing Bell, and trading for Street and Quentin have significant win now potential.
by PrincetonCubs on Jan 1, 2026 11:50 AM EST up reply actions
I hear YOU :)
I don’t think they are rebuilding, in the sense that most people think of rebuilding though. Rebuilding, as in losing a lot of games rebuuilding. I think what the team was doing last year wasn;’t working too well - even trading thier ace the pitching will be there based on the park and depth - they are trying to field a team that will put runs on the board better. I think they have made thier lineup better for 2012 and, the future. So, as you say “creative rebuilding”, I like it.
Oh and, hey, Happy New Year!
Happy Holliday's everybody. Be safe and, enjoy! - Case
by casejud on Jan 1, 2026 12:23 PM EST up reply actions
Flipping Q
i’d be really surprised if Quentin was flipped at the deadline for something better than what the Pads just gave up
and i’m low on Simon Castro
by blue bulldog on Dec 31, 2025 8:18 PM EST up reply actions
Really?
I guess the Pads could be unable to find any takers for Quentin, but it would not be all that hard to top Castro as a prospect. The guy is 23, and is coming off a year in which he was demoted back to AA where he posted a 4.33 ERA with an uninspiring K rate. Sure, he could turn it around, but I would rather bet on Quentin having a decent first half and enhancing his trade value.
The most likely outcome? None of these guys will be pieces that a contending team wants in 6 months or beyond.
by Caesar Tovar on Jan 1, 2026 4:35 AM EST up reply actions
well
if it isn’t all that hard to top Castro as a prospect (and i basically agree to this)
why didn’t Kenny Williams just now try to get a better package?
by blue bulldog on Jan 1, 2026 4:05 PM EST up reply actions
I'm sure he did
I’m sure Williams took what he thought was the best offer at the moment. I just don’t think that Castro is a great headline prospect in this deal. Quentin is 29 years old, has averaged almost 27 HRs over the past four seasons and is signed to a reasonable 5 million dollar contract. I would have thought they could have gotten more than two guys from the “others” pile of the Padres prospect list. Maybe the Sox just needed to wait until a few more FAs sign, as the teams that miss out might be more eager to add offense and more willing to add payroll.
If Castro was hurt and bounces back in a big way, this could clearly be a win for the White Sox.
I don’t have any problem with the idea of trading Quentin, but I think I would have waited to see if a better offer came along.
by Caesar Tovar on Jan 1, 2026 5:07 PM EST up reply actions
Quentin is arb-eligible, isn't he?
Everything I read says he’s expected to get a raise of a couple million dollars over $5 million.
Not a huge Quentin fan myself. He hits a lot of home runs, but some of that’s park-aided, and since his big season four years ago he’s given most of his offensive value back with his glove. If you believe last year’s spike in his defensive numbers is for real, he might still be useful, but I don’t know that anyone thinks it is. PETCO should hurt his value on offense and defense, and that’s not considering the injuries.
I’d be at least as happy hoping for a Castro bounceback as a Quentin bounceback.
Not actually affiliated with whygavs.
by WHYG Zane Smith on Jan 1, 2026 7:55 PM EST up reply actions
he actually was better defensively than in prior seasons. health likely played the primary role in that.
he didn’t have the foot, ankle, hamstring, knee, etc. problems he had in 2009 and 2010. given the vagaries of defensive stats, i’m not going to guess as to what his true UZR or whatever is. but he wasn’t the absolutely awful defender he had been. of course, as with everything else regarding quentin, health is the key and betting on him remaining healthy in 2012 is a bad bet. i guess the padres are banking on something more like the 2008 and 2011 seasons where he was relatively healthy until the last month or two of the season.
by larry on Jan 2, 2026 12:05 AM EST up reply actions
my rhetorical questions seem to be getting lost
i think Kenny Williams tried to get a better package. i think he wasn’t able to get a better package. i also think the possibility of Quentin improving his stock to the point where he could command a better trade return in the first three months of the season is very low.
by blue bulldog on Jan 2, 2026 1:38 AM EST up reply actions
Why?
Pretty darn good hitter - prime of career - playing in his hometown. Maybe his numbers won’t look great superficially but, I think the other big league teams are aware of park effects BB.
I think the Padres are looking at Quentin as a guy who will help them to outscore thier opponents this year though, more than anything. He’s quite capable of a big year in San Diego in 2012.
Happy Holliday's everybody. Be safe and, enjoy! - Case
by casejud on Jan 2, 2026 1:38 PM EST up reply actions
because
1) if you think Kenny Williams didn’t look to maximize his return on Quentin then you think Kenny Williams is a worse GM than i could possibly ever imagine (and i think Kenny Williams is a terrible GM)
2) so you must come to the conclusion that KW tried to maximize his return on Quentin, and you must conclude that in a market where KW was actively shopping his players, and every team knew that he was shopping his players, Quentin’s best possible return was Castro and some rando
3) if the Padres try to flip Quentin at the deadline, all else being equal, his value will be half that of what his perceived market value was at the time of this trade, because there is only half a season worth’s of production left. Quentin would need to substantially improve on his market value in order to generate a higher return than what the Padres gave up for him now
4) Quentin isn’t going to be able to substantially improve, because even though park effects are known by GM’s, they have diminishing or increasing effects on certain players. Quentin is likely to be much more adversely affected by Petco, because spacious outfield exposes his defense even more, and insanely high and still increasing flyball/pop up rates will decimate his offensive value
all of this adds up to the conclusion that Quentin is highly unlikely to get flipped for a better prospect at the deadline
by blue bulldog on Jan 2, 2026 3:01 PM EST up reply actions
Some good points
. . and some, not so good :) Just my opinion but, If you admit that Williams is a terrible GM (personally, I like him a lot but, he makes some rash moves, good and bad) then that kind of argues against your 1st and 2nd points, doesn’t it. I see your logical point but, the fact that this deal was made he made the deal dosn’t show anything to me about the market for Quentin but, who knows? To me it says maore about Simon Castro or, how the Sox folks view him.
As for me, I don’t need to make that argument to form my own opinion. Becaue KW didn’t get more (or just really likes Castro) doesn’t meen Carlos Quentin isn’t talented, to me.
Point three is a completely valid one but, i don’t see the Padres playing “baseball ponzi” or, whatever you call that nonsense of aquiring a guy, just looking to deal him at the dedaline. I think they acquired him to win.
As far as point four, I don’t know about fltyball tendencies. I don’t pay attention or, care, so you may have a point. I did watch Quentin hit a lot this season and, he still looks really strong and pretty darned good at putting the ball in play to me. Petco plays pretty decent for pull hitting righthanders I hear and, the numbers back that up. It kills lefty batters a lot more.
Also BlueDog, If Quentin isn’t ideal for leftfield in Petco, I hardly see how that efffects his value to another National League team or, a deadline deal back to the American League
Happy Holliday's everybody. Be safe and, enjoy! - Case
by casejud on Jan 2, 2026 6:38 PM EST up reply actions
after ryan ludwick,
i would have thought padres fans would have learned and cared about flyball tendencies.
by larry on Jan 2, 2026 7:44 PM EST up reply actions
You would have thought
. . but, alas, no. I live in Seattle and don’t get to watch the Padres alot but, I root for them
Is there a correlation between hitters sucking at Petco and it being moreso the guys who hit it in the air? I guess that makes sense.
I was looking through the numbers from last year though and, I was surprised by this little tidbit… the Padres homered 46 times in thier home games … terrible and, understandable, given the ballcanyon they play in I suppose. You know how many they hit on the road? 45. Now THAT is tragic and, maybe answers why you trade for a guy like Carlos Quentin if you are the Padres.
Happy Holliday's everybody. Be safe and, enjoy! - Case
by casejud on Jan 3, 2026 1:16 AM EST up reply actions
this is my feeling
unless Quentin really puts up big numbers, in an unlikely park for that to happen
by PrincetonCubs on Jan 1, 2026 11:51 AM EST up reply actions
They're trying to get better. Now and in the future.
If you can improve now without compromising the future, you do it. Castro and Hernandez were organizational depth and not part of the rebuilding strategy. The next wave of pitchers will be Erlin, Weiland, Kelly, Sampson, Ross and whoever else steps up.
The team got a cleanup hitter to protect Alonso and they did it without giving up any pieces that figured into the long term plans. You can simultaneously rebuild and retool at the same time. As long as you’re careful about it.
"When you find your way. Then you see it disappear."
by padmadfan on Jan 1, 2026 9:40 AM EST up reply actions
I think this is giving up on Castro too easily
but you guys as Padres fans have seen more of him undoubtedly. I wouldn’t necessarily be willing to write him off as org depth after one bad year.
by PrincetonCubs on Jan 1, 2026 11:52 AM EST up reply actions
oh, he's not organizational depth
Still a pretty good arm, but his game regressed in every way last year. His Tucson nightmare might have had an impact on him mentally and a change of scenery should help.
by mrkupe on Jan 1, 2026 12:37 PM EST up reply actions
its possible
. .then again, it was only 25 innings. I would hope he wouldn’t be scared for life from it. I believe his crappiest start for Tucson was his last one in Tacoma but, I could be remembering wrong.
Oh and, his game didn’t regress in two ways that I find, though the year was a disaster. He walked hitters and, struck out hitters at the same rate as in 2010. I suppose that bodes well somewhat right?
Happy Holliday's everybody. Be safe and, enjoy! - Case
by casejud on Jan 1, 2026 12:54 PM EST up reply actions
I agree
…but the Padres have so much pitching on the way they won’t be able to keep them all even if they wanted to - they won’t all fit on the 40. This was a good use of 2 of the guys who were not considered the top pitchers in the system.
-peter
by PeterF on Jan 1, 2026 1:01 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
Don Cooper is still the pitching coach for the Sox right?
I’ll be very interested to see what he can do with Simon Castro going forward. So much potential there, I think Cooper could do wonders for him. Doesn’t necessarily make it a good trade or anything, but I’m not sure how strong the market was for an oft injured slugging corner OF with a year to free agency and a fairly high price tag.
http://bullpenbanter.com
RIP Randy "Macho Man" Savage
by gatling on Dec 31, 2025 5:23 PM EST reply actions
yep, still Coop
He’s got quite the project here, but I have to believe the White Sox were targeting Castro for that exact reason. SD was in a tight spot with Castro, too . . .hard to see how it makes sense to send him to San Antonio for a 3rd tour, but he’s not ready for the majors in any more than spot bullpen work and I think he’d probably get taken apart in a return trip to Tucson.
I’m with you on the market for Quentin. His talent at the plate is obvious, but he spends a fair amount of time on the shelf and at the moment, it’s a toss-up as to whether he’ll be a good candidate for an arbitration offer.
by mrkupe on Dec 31, 2025 8:27 PM EST up reply actions
OT: Jason Frasor trade
I don’t know if a thread will be done for that trade. Probably John puts something up about it at some point. That said, fascinating return in Webb and Jaye, two young kids, both with some upside. I seem to remember Webb as the more highly touted of the two, but Jaye intrigues me quite a bit as the frame probably can add some more on it. As noted in the other thread, I thought the return for Quentin, while not great, was fine. I’m a bit more intrigued with the return in this deal.
by toonsterwu on Jan 1, 2026 1:53 PM EST reply actions
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