Tatis for Shields

June 4, 2016. The Padres traded James Shields and cash to the White Sox for Erik Johnson and Fernando Tatis Jr. Shields was 34, in the second season of a four-year, $75 million contract, and was 2–7 with a 4.28 earned-run average. His previous start, in Seattle, had been ten earned runs in two and two-thirds innings. About $58 million remained on the deal. San Diego kept more than half of it. Chicago's share, if Shields did not opt out, was $5 million that year and $22 million after.

Johnson was 26 and had already started in the majors. Tatis was 17, signed by Chicago the previous July, and had not made his professional debut. He was the son of a major leaguer. He was not, that afternoon, the player the trade was explained as. Preller said it was hard to move Shields and that the return was two players the Padres were excited about, plus flexibility.

The flexibility was the money. The excitement, in the retelling, is entirely the 17-year-old. Both were in the announcement. Only one of them is why the trade is filed here.