After shopping third baseman Chase Headley hard up until July's MLB trade deadline, it seemed the Padres were destined to at least attempt to make a deal happen this offseason. But according to ESPN's Jayson Stark, interested clubs are now hearing that their plan of attack with Headley may have changed:
The Padres never got offered enough before the deadline to trade Chase Headley. And, surprisingly, they're telling teams these days that they might not trade him this winter, either, now that (a) they finally have new owners and (b) Headley's heir apparent at third base, Jedd Gyorko, has played enough second base this year in the minor leagues to convince them he can be a viable Dan Uggla-esque option there in the big leagues.
This comes as bad news to a Los Angeles Dodger team whose interest in Headley was no secret. Although Hanley Ramirez has been preforming nicely in his Dodger blue uniform and Luis Cruz has been adequate enough, the new Yankees of the west might have been hot on Headley's tail with the switch-hitting 28-year-old being under team control through 2014.
Even with this news, it's still a possibility the Dodgers go after another fresh name to man the hot corner since Ramirez has shown the ability to play shortstop. Yes, that would leave the once highly-touted speedster Dee Gordon without a role but nothing would shock fans nowadays with Los Angeles proving to the world than money is no object.