With the calf injury to Jim Edmonds on Wednesday, the Padres and GM Kevin Towers could be looking to at the trade route to bring in another center fielder.

Edmonds was originally diagnosed with a strain calf, but after an MRI on Friday afternoon, the injury was worse than originally expected. So much so, that he could possibly miss Opening Day and then some. At this point, the Padres want to get a look at Scott Hairston, Jody Gerut and Callix Crabbe to see if they can handle the duties in the meantime, but that doesn’t mean the Padres aren’t looking at options outside their own team.

A name that came up this past offseason, and may come up again, is Reggie Willits with the Los Angeles Angels. Due to the fact that the Angels signed outfielder Torii Hunter, it means that Willits may not even crack the 25-man roster out of spring training. The Padres had talked to the Angels about him, but the talks stalled after the Angels wanted Chase Headley in return, a player the Padres refuse to talk about in any trade discussions. Another player with the Angels that the Padres could be interested in is Nathan Haynes, who is out of minor league options and will be exposed to waivers if the Angels try to send him back to AAA.

Another name that has come up before that could surface again is young Brewers’ outfielder, and son of a Padre legend, Tony Gwynn Jr. The Padres tried to get the Brewers to include him in the trade that sent Scott Linebrink to Milwaukee for 3 young pitching prospects, but Milwaukee did not want to give him up.

The Padres are intending to wait to make the decision until the latter part of March, to see how Edmonds’ injury is progressing and how the other outfielders look playing center field before they make the decision to make a trade. If young guys like Jody Gerut, Callix Crabbe and Scott Hairston show they can shoulder the load, maybe it’s in the best interest of the Padres to not be so hasty in making a trade and let the players you already have show what they can do. Both Gerut and Crabbe have impressed thus far in Spring Training, I don’t think it’s such a bad thing to have both when the season opens.

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