As Padres fans analyze the acquisitions of Huston Street, Mark Kotsay, and John Baker this offseason, two popular names are coming up in trade talks.  Chase Headley and Mat Latos.  Setting aside my personal feelings for both players, I’m concerned about the message this sends to fans.

With players such as Jake Peavy, Adrian Gonzalez, and Heath Bell it was about money.  In trading Peavy (arguably the best starting pitcher in Padre history), the Padres moved a lot of money off the books as well as received four arms.  Only Clayton Richard remains from the trade, but make no mistake, the deal was all about money.

Gonzalez was moved with one year left on a very team friendly deal.  Instead of trying to find creative ways to extend Gonzalez with two years remaining, the Padres front office had decided to let things play out and move the best hitting Padre since #19.  The jury is still out on Rizzo, but it appears that Kelly and Fuentes are not as advertised.

Heath wanted to stay in San Diego, but at the end of the day the Padres had no interest.  They made no effort to sign Heath and did not even make a contract offer to the all-star closer in the last four months.  For Heath it was accept an arbitration deal or the cherry offer from the Marlins.  I’m not saying the Padres should have matched the offer Bell received from the Marlins, but the lack of communication on the Padres end is concerning.

I do understand that the Moores divorce threw a wrench in things, but Bell was the last vet that this should have affected.  The front office has been adamant about developing and retaining guys.  If that is the case, why are the Padres talking trade with young guys that are not due tens of millions of dollars and are under team control?

I realize that Headley and Latos are much different situations.  Headley was a super 2 last year and he is now eligible for his second season of arbitration with two more years coming.  Chase will be a free agent after the 2014 season.  With James Darnell ready and Jedd Gyorko very close, the Padres have a log jam at the hot corner.

Chase is a stand up guy, a solid player, and the kind of guy you would want your daughter to date.  With that said, he’s a solid player that has tried to adjust to Petco and will be a much more productive player on another team.  I get it, the Padres have some hot prospects that are very close and if they can sure up some other positions of need they are going to do that.

Mat Latos is a whole different story.  He is under team control through the 2015 season and is a dominant pitcher at the ripe age of 24.   Latos is the type of player that fits into that “develop and retain” mantra the Padres have been selling to the fan base.

The fans have been sold that the trades of Gonzalez and Mike Adams should set up the Padres for the future.  Although minor league baseball coverage is more popular than ever, the mainstream fan is much more concerned with the present. That doesn’t mean the future isn’t important, but constantly pushing off the present, leads me to this question.  When does the future become the present?

If the Padres trade ace pitcher Mat Latos, it sends the message to fans that the Padres do not feel they will be able to compete for the next half decade.  At the same time, if the Padres were to approach Latos and get an extension in place, it would show a commitment to fans and give a jolt to the fan base.

Padres Vice chairman and CEO Jeff Moorad has said he wants to see more of the Latos from 2010 that finished 8^th in Cy Young voting.  After working through a few bumps and bruises at the start of 2011, Latos was outstanding the second half of 2011, with 14 of his 16 starts resulting in quality starts.

Latos is up there with the best young arms in the game.  The Padres have pushed him hard and he has responded.  I believe it is now time for the Padres to respond to not only Mat Latos, but also to the fans.  It’s time to sign Latos through his arbitration years and show the fan base that the future is now the present.