FREDDY FERMIN SENT TO SAN DIEGO
The San Diego Padres acquired catcher Freddy Fermin from the Kansas City Royals for pitchers Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek.
What does it give the San Diego Padres
The Padres get an upgrade at catcher by bringing in Fermin. He is known for his defense behind the plate, but he can hold his own on offense, too (though he won't hit for much power). The 30-year-old has several years of team control remaining, so he could end up being a long-term fit in San Diego. They had been relying on a catching tandem of Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado previously.
What does it give the Kansas City Royals
The Royals are trying to hang in the American League Wild Card race, but their pitching staff has been depleted by injuries lately. These additions will help. Bergert is a good pick-up who could become a back-of-the-rotation starter moving forward. He had a 2.78 ERA in 35.2 IP with San Diego this season. As for Kolek, he is more of a depth starter, but he proved this season he is capable of covering innings. He had a 4.18 ERA over 14 starts.
Fantasy impact
This trade will not impact fantasy baseball too much. Bergert would be the player to watch. He should get a look in Kansas City's rotation right away, and he has shown decent strikeout ability so far in his career. On the other hand, Fermin does not do enough to be a relevant fantasy catcher outside of very deep leagues.
