Padres trade Yangervis Solarte to Blue Jays

2 minor leaguers sent to San Diego in return

This has been a painfully slow baseball offseason to date, with minimal activity outside of a few flurries in December. So when there is news of something, anything going down in this barren desert we are very grateful. Saturday’s few drops of water are infielder Yangervis Solarte getting traded from the Padres to the Blue Jays.

News of the trade was first reported by Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, with the Padres receiving a pair of minor leaguers in return per Robert Murray of FanRag Sports.

Solarte hit .255/.314/.416 with 18 home runs and 21 doubles in 128 games for San Diego in 2017. The 30-year-old switch hitter has $4.75 million and one year remaining on his contract, with club options for 2019 and 2020 that could mean as much as $17.5 million for Solarte over the next three years.

Solarte has played third base most often in his career but has played all over the infield, starting at all four infield positions in 2017. His primary position with the Padres last year was second base, starting 74 times there, with 24 starts at shortstop, 18 starts at third base plus four starts at first.

Toronto is reportedly sending outfielder Edward Oliveras to San Diego in the deal. Oliveras was signed out of Venezuela in 2014, and hit .269/.327/.468 with 17 home runs, 27 doubles, 10 triples and 20 stolen bases in 120 games between both Class-A teams in the Blue Jays’ system. He turns 22 in March.

Also headed to the Padres is pitcher Jared Carkuff, per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union Tribune. The 24-year-old right-hander posted a 3.86 ERA in 34 relief appearances across three levels in 2017, with 51 strikeouts and 15 walks in 63 innings. He was drafted by Toronto in the 35th round out of Austin Peay in 2016.