Arizona Diamondbacks: Padres deny trade talks involving Nick Ahmed
By Mark Brown
Shortstop Nick Ahmed of the Arizona Diamondbacks could be the subject of trade talks.
A recent report suggested the Arizona Diamondbacks are looking around to ship shortstop Nick Ahmed. Locked in a battle for a roster spot with Chris Owings and Ketel Marte for that middle infield position, one report linked Ahmed to the San Diego Padres, the New York Yankees or the Tampa Bay Rays.
That report in the Arizona Republic suggested Ahmed may have a difficult time making the 25-man roster out of spring training and the Diamondbacks would be wise to try and get something rather than let Ahmed walk. A deal to land Ahmed in San Diego seems the less plausible because a trade within divisional rivals is not considered a wise move.
If the Diamondbacks move Ahmed, a likely scenario could be to the Yankees. Current shortstop Didi Gregorius is out for four-to-six weeks with a shoulder injury, and Ahmed is apparently on New York general manager Brian Cashman’s radar screen.
Relative to the Padres, manager Andy Green is likely to go with veteran Erick Aybar at shortstop, who is hitting .293 coming into play Friday. Aybar is in camp as a non-roster player. While the Padres appear set at three infield positions with Wil Myers at first, Cory Spangenberg at third and Yangervis Solarte at second, shortstop could be a question.
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After the Padres’ 6-2 lost to Kansas City on Wednesday, Green told Venom Strikes he would not speak to a possible Ahmed deal with San Diego.
"I know nothing about it. I don’t comment on players from other teams."
Green has a strong history with Ahmed. As Ahmed’s manager with Double-A Mobile in the Diamondbacks organization, Green mentored and coached Ahmed to the majors.
Coming over from Atlanta in the Justin Upton deal just before the 2013 season, Ahmed, under Green, earned the minor-league Gold Glove Award as the top defensive shortstop in 2013. He was also named the top defensive shortstop in the Southern League that year by Baseball America.
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Ahmed’s value is primarily with his glove, and he continues to struggle with the bat. He has a career .221 batting average in the majors in 249 games. In many games this spring, manager Torey Lovullo inserted Ahmed in the lineup as the Diamondbacks’ DH. He has had fewer reps at shortstop than Owings and Marte.