CASHNER, REA TO MARLINS IN SEVEN-PLAYER DEAL

By Liz Alper

Photo courtesy UCInternational on Wikipedia.  Originally by SD Dirk on Flickr.  Newsflasher image courtesy Denis Poroy, Getty Images

July 29, 2016 (San Diego) - Imagine being best friends with a bunch of fish and trading all of your pitchers to them.

That seems to be the relationship that Padres general manager A.J. Preller has with the Miami Marlins.  His most recent trade comes this morning, dealing starting pitchers Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea and reliever Tayron Guerrero to the fish, Fox's Ken Rosenthal and the Union Tribune's Dennis Lin report.

In return, the Padres receive the Marlins' top prospective first baseman Josh Naylor and pitchers Carter Capps, Luis Castillo and Jarred Cosart.  They've also traded away James Shields (Chicago White Sox), Drew Pomeranz (Boston Red Sox) and Fernando Rodney (Marlins). 

With this trade, Tyson Ross, who is still injured, is the only starting pitcher left from the Padres' Opening Day roster.

The Padres already traded Melvin Upton Jr. to the Toronto Blue Jays this week.

Cashner is 4-7 with a 4.76 ERA this season, but in his last three starts has acquired a 2.55 ERA.  Rea is 5-5 with a 4.98 ERA.

As for what the Padres are getting, Cosart was 0-1 with a 5.95 ERA in four MLB starts.  Naylor, playing single A ball, was hitting .269 with 19 home runs and 54 RBIs.  Castillo, also at single A, was posting a 7-3 record and a 2.25 ERA.  Capps underwent Tommy John surgery in March and is out for the season.