Sun, Apr 5, 2015 at 7:13pm

PADRES PILFER KIMBREL IN 7-ASSET DEAL

The San Diego Padres acquired pitcher Craig Kimbrel and outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. from the Atlanta Braves for outfielders Cameron Maybin, Carlos Quentin and Jordan Paroubeck, pitcher Matt Wisler and a competitive balance round A draft pick in 2015.

What does it give the San Diego Padres
Kimbrel is probably the top closer in all of baseball, so bold Padres GM A.J. Preller continues to make big and impressive moves. That said, this is also a fairly expensive maneuver; Kimbrel makes $9 million in salary this season, and it only goes up in following years. The added price for the Padres of acquiring Kimbrel is they also assume the hefty contract of underachiever Upton Jr., who projects as a fourth outfielder (while reuniting with his brother Justin). That price is $46 million over the next three seasons. It's offset a bit by moving Quentin, but this is still a lot of money to pay for essentially adding Kimbrel.

What does it give the Atlanta Braves
It's clear the Braves are in rebuild mode. They blew up their roster this off-season, and moving their best player--the dominant and still-young Kimbrel--is the most dramatic move in that rebuild. As mentioned, Atlanta saves a lot of money over the next few years, and they add four assets potentially pretty useful to them: the draft pick, the athletic but injury-plagued Maybin, the talented and near-ready rotation hopeful Wisler, and the toolsy outfield prospect Paroubeck. Quentin isn't expected to be kept around this season, with a move to the American League (where he can DH) widely expected.

Fantasy impact
This mega-deal has a multitude of fantasy impacts for the many players involved. First off, Kimbrel gets a fantasy boost moving from rebuilding Atlanta to suddenly-contending San Diego. He's expected to replace Joaquin Benoit as Padres closer, with Benoit moving to a setup role (and losing obvious fantasy value as a result). Upton Jr.'s fantasy prospects don't change much, since with San Diego he'll again be a fourth outfielder (once he's healthy). On the Atlanta side of things, vets Jason Grilli and Jim Johnson should get chances at the Braves closer gig, with Grilli the clear early favorite. Meanwhile Maybin should see renewed opportunity for at-bats (if he can stay injury-free) competing against Eric Young Jr. (CF) and Jonny Gomes (LF) for starts. Wisler is worth keeping an eye on in deeper (and keeper) leagues, as he has mid-to-upper-rotation stuff and should be in the upper minors this season. And keep Paroubeck on the long-term radar; he brings very solid all-round tools (but isn't close to major-league ready yet). Quentin is expected to eventually land as a DH in the American League, and if/when that happens he's worth a fantasy flier (if he somehow manages to keep in good health).