The Padres dealt from their infield depth on Saturday, trading fan favorite Yangervis Solarte to the Blue Jays for Minor League outfielder Edward Olivares, who was Toronto's No. 18 prospect per MLB Pipeline, and right-handed relief prospect Jared Carkuff.
The Padres had been fielding calls since as early as the General Managers Meetings in November on their infield trio of Solarte, Cory Spangenberg and Carlos Asuaje. And among the three, Solarte, 30, seemed the most logical trade chip. He is the most experienced and most versatile, but also offered the most club-friendly contract -- with one year remaining at $4.125 million and two club options, valued at $5.5 million in '19 and $8 million in '20.
Solarte is coming off a year in which he hit a career-high 18 homers with 64 RBIs and posted a .255/.314/.416 slash line in 128 games while appearing at all four infield positions.
Beyond his production on the field, Solarte was one of the most beloved Padres for his passion and connection to San Diego. One particularly touching moment was when Solarte lost his wife, Yuliette, after complications from her fight against cancer in Sept. 2016, and the city embraced him in his time of mourning.
The Padres are left with Spangenberg, Asuaje and recently-reacquired Chase Headley to play second and third base, though another trade could be in the cards. Luis Urias, the team's No. 3 prospect, seems likely to reach the Majors during the 2018 season and will need consistent at-bats at the keystone position.
Olivares, 21, will add further depth to a Padres farm system that is widely regarded as being in the game's upper echelon, most specifically for its infield and pitching talent. While scouting reports indicate he had mixed results early in his career, Olivares took a significant step forward in 2017 in advancing to Class A Lancaster, where he played 101 games and slashed .277/.330/.500 with 17 homers and 65 RBIs. He is slotted in as the Padres' No. 24 prospect.
Carkuff, 24, was Toronto's 35th-round selection in 2016, and reached as high as Triple-A Buffalo last season. During the '17 campaign, between four Minor League stops, he went 3-4 with a 3.86 ERA in 63 innings.