Christmas remained weeks away when the Padres emerged as curious participants in the market for Francisco Lindor. The Cleveland Indians will be challenged to keep their franchise shortstop beyond 2021, when Lindor could make close to $30 million before becoming eligible for free agency. They have entertained the notion of exchanging his remaining control for a bounty of prospects, something San Diego can offer.



This is the current, unfortunate state of baseball. While the Padres have received praise for their willingness to think big, more teams are pondering how they can shed payroll — and, in some cases, homegrown stars — all under the guise of sustainability. The trend is not limited to low-revenue clubs.



Yet there is plenty to be said for the value of efficiency. The events of Tuesday night reaffirmed this.



The Padres had been attempting to move the contract of Wil Myers in a deal for Boston Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts, arguably the...