The Padres have traded another member of their former core. Tuesday, they sent second baseman and homegrown talent Jedd Gyorko to the St. Louis Cardinals for center fielder Jon Jay. As part of the deal, the Padres will pay $7.5 million of the $33 million remaining on Gyorko’s contract, according to a club source.

Jay, who turns 31 in March, will make $6.85 million in his final season before free agency. The left-handed hitter could share center field with Melvin Upton Jr., who is owed more than $31 million over the next two years, while also filling in at the other two outfield spots.

The acquisition of Jay and the shedding of Gyorko’s deal free up more money beyond 2016 for the Padres to address other needs, such as an everyday shortstop.

“Jedd obviously brings good things to the table,” Padres General Manager A.J. Preller said, “but I think we looked at the flexibility financially (the trade) provides us, whether it’s this year or down the road.”


Preller, who said he is still looking for left-field help, noted that Jay historically has held his own against left-handed pitchers — for his career, he is a .279/.346/.350 hitter against lefties, compared to .289/.357/.393 versus righties — and said the Padres may not necessarily view him as a platoon player. That, combined with Upton Jr.’s likely immovable contract and center-field prospect Manuel Margot’s proximity to the majors, could portend a trade of left-handed-hitting outfield prospect Travis Jankowski, who was a second-half call-up last season.

Jay underwent surgery on his left wrist after the 2014 season and was limited to 79 games last season, which was easily the worst of his career; he hit .210/.306/.257 with one home run and no steals. Lifetime, the University of Miami product has shown a propensity for contact if not much power, hitting .287/.354/.384 with 29 home runs over parts of six seasons.

Preller said the Padres’ medical review involved having a hand specialist look at Jay’s wrist.

“I think he played through some stuff in 2014, actually played pretty well,” Preller said. “He probably should’ve taken a little more time at the beginning of (the 2014 season). ... Just talking to him, it sounds like he’s having a normal offseason, maybe even accelerated because he didn’t have the wear and tear last (season) on his body. We expect him to be ready to go for spring training.”


Regarded as an above-average defender, Jay should simultaneously help the Padres address their need for left-handed bats. From his time with the perenially contending Cardinals, Jay also brings playoff experience, a point of emphasis for the Padres’ front office. New Padres bench coach Mark McGwire was the Cardinals’ hitting coach during Jay’s first three seasons in St. Louis.

“This was a situation of getting a little more left-handed balance, getting a good defender in center field, getting a good makeup guy,” Preller said. “We literally unanimously agreed he’s a guy we want on our team.”

Jay represents a far shorter financial commitment than Gyorko, who went from a second-round draft pick in 2010 to a promising rookie to, for the Padres, a burdensome contract. The 27-year-old debuted in 2013, hitting .249/.301/.444 with 23 home runs, prompting the Padres to sign him to a six-year extension, but he has struggled in the two years since. Despite a second-half bounceback following his June demotion to Triple-A, he sports a career slash line of .236/.293/.395.

Gyorko will make $4 million in 2016, $6 million in 2017, $9 million in 2018 and $13 million in 2019. He has a $13 million team option for 2020, with a $1 million buyout.


While he hit .259 with 13 home runs after the All-Star break, Gyorko still shared second base with rookie Cory Spangenberg and even played shortstop for a team that lacked better options at the position. Gyorko is expected to play a super-utility role for St. Louis.

Gyorko’s departure means that the speedy, left-handed-hitting Spangenberg likely will be the Padres’ starter at second base. Spangenberg hit .271/.333/.399 in his first full season in the majors.

“He came back from the bone bruise (in Spangenberg’s left knee) and the last month of the season really gave us an element we didn’t have -- left-handed bat, speed,” Preller said. “Again, he’s going to have to come in and compete, hopefully pick up where he left off, but this clears a path for him to get more playing time.”

Gyorko joins closer Craig Kimbrel, setup man Joaquin Benoit and first baseman Yonder Alonso as regulars dealt by the Padres this offseason. In the infield, the Padres could turn to Wil Myers at first base, and it appears Yangervis Solarte, after a productive season, has the inside track at third. The Padres also have expressed interest in Japanese free agent Nobuhiro Matsuda, who possibly could play either third or second in the majors.


That leaves the gaping hole at shortstop. While the Padres have explored seemingly countless trade possibilities, some in the industry believe they are the favorites for Ian Desmond, the top free agent at the position.

▪ Could the Padres’ next left fielder come from within? Outfield prospect Hunter Renfroe likely won’t be ready next spring, but he could be sometime in the second half of 2016. “I think it’s a situation where he tells us, he dictates to us when he’s ready,” Preller said. “But he’s got a lot of talent, and guys who have premium ability, you give them chances. We’ll go to spring training, and he’ll show us if he’s really ready to take that next step. If not, we know he’s going to continue his development in (Triple-A) El Paso.”

▪ While Renfroe has played all three outfield positions, Preller said he profiles as a “classic right fielder.” Of course, prospects are never a guarantee to make it in the majors. Preller said the Padres have not discussed moving Matt Kemp from right field to left. Although he drove in 100 runs last season, Kemp, according to defensive metrics, was one of baseball’s least effective right fielders.

▪ It would take a huge return for the Padres to move right-hander Tyson Ross, but a division opponent Tuesday reinforced the skyrocketing value of starting pitching. On the same day they officially signed Zack Greinke for $206 million, the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to multiple reports, acquired young starter Shelby Miller from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for well-regarded outfielder Ender Inciarte and top prospects Aaron Blair and Dansby Swanson.


▪ Preller said Tuesday, for the Padres, was “probably half and half” in terms of trade discussions and conversations with free agents. One of the latter group reportedly is veteran reliever and former All-Star closer Fernando Rodney.

dennis.lin@sduniontribune.com