Padres in talks for Contreras; open to exciting young people for Soto

The Padres, one of the top rumored suitors for Nationals outfielder Juan Soto, are willing to discuss infielder CJ Abrams, outfielder Robert Hassell III and left-hander Adrian Morejon, according to Jon Morosi. The Nationals are known to be looking for a mix of big league prospects and young players. It’s unclear whether the Padres’ package will make it past his threshold, given that Abrams has struggled in the majors and Morejon is recovering from elbow surgery. The Padres are also in talks with the Cubs for catcher Willson Contreras, ESPN reports. Contreras will become a free agent after the season and is certain to be traded before Tuesday’s trade deadline. San Diego catchers are hitting .258/.311/.366 this season, which is better than their .225/.294/.364 positional average, though Contreras would still be a significant upgrade. Entering Saturday, the Padres had a 2.5-game lead for a wild-card spot, though they have lost 21 of their last 36 games and their offense has struggled at times. The Padres could use offensive help at several positions, most notably in the outfield. The bullpen could also use a boost with Taylor Rogers recently moved from the closer’s role. The Phillies acquired infielder Edmundo Sosa from the Cardinals for lefty prospect JoJo Romero, the team announced Saturday. Sosa finished last season as the Cardinals’ starting shortstop, though he has dropped into a utility role this year and struggled. St. Louis is deep in players, so they dealt Sosa an interesting board piece. As for Philadelphia, the production at shortstop and second base has left a lot to be desired this year, although Jean Segura is expected to return from his broken finger next week. Romero, 25, has allowed 21 runs in 21 2/3 career major league innings, though his mid-90s fastball and hard changeup give him a chance to be a long-term hitter.

Blue Jays interested in Fulmer

The Blue Jays are among the teams interested in Tigers shortstop Michael Fulmer, MLB.com reports. Fulmer pitched a scoreless eighth inning in Toronto on Friday. The Tigers have plenty of relievers to sell at the deadline — Andrew Chafin and All-Star Gregory Soto are among them — though Fulmer is an impending free agent, so there’s some urgency to move him.
Pitching is the top priority for a Blue Jays team that has been on a tear offensively in recent weeks. Fulmer has morphed into a slugging machine who lacks bats, though he also struggles with walks. He’s the type of rental reliever who moves at the deadline every year and is an upgrade on any prospect.

Montas now the Yankees’ No. 1 target

With Castillo off the board, righty Frankie Montas is now the Yankees’ No. 1 target, USA Today reports. Everything has to go in Oakland, and Montas is the team’s top remaining brand. The right-hander missed two starts with a minor shoulder problem earlier this month, but looked strong in his first two starts back, and has been at a high level for several years.
New York is looking for a rotation upgrade and will likely have to win a bidding war to acquire Montas. Several other contenders need rotation help, and Montas is appealing because he will remain under team control next season as an arbitration-eligible player. He’s not a rental, and as the Castillo trade showed, the price for two postseason runs of a contending starter is high.
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A’s, the Brewers talked to Laureano

The Athletics and Brewers have discussed outfielder Ramón Laureano, according to the New York Post. Laureano is one of the A’s top remaining trades and will remain under team control through 2025, so he’s a long-term addition. Center has been a weakness for the Brewers all season, and Laureano represents an upgrade over the Jonathan Davis/Tyrone Taylor platoon.
Currently in first place in the NL Central, Milwaukee could use another bat to lengthen the lineup, and Laureano also brings an element of speed. His defense tends to be overrated — Laureano’s arm is tops, though his range and walks are fine — but Brewers center fielders have hit .213/.272/.313 this year, and that’s not going to fly when you’re fighting for a division title.
Rather than trade him at the deadline, the Rockies signed closer Daniel Bard to a two-year contract extension worth about $19 million. Bard, 37, will be a free agent after the season and was a top prospect in the trade. Bard, the 2020 NL…