The emergence of Padres rookie second baseman Josh Barfield last season seemingly ended the chances of Marcus Giles joining his older brother, Brian, in San Diego.
Not so fast.
The Padres, one of several clubs talking with the Braves about Marcus, would move him from second to third base, FOXSports.com has learned.
Marcus, 28, would gladly make the switch to become teammates with Brian, 35, for the first time, a source close to the brothers said.
The Braves, seeking an eighth-inning bridge to closer Bob Wickman, likely are interested in Padres right-handed reliever Scott Linebrink, whom they tried to acquire last summer.
The Indians are another possible suitor for Marcus.
The Reds could acquire him and move second baseman Brandon Phillips to shortstop. The Cardinals and Giants are among the other clubs with openings at second.
The problem with obtaining Marcus Giles, especially for budget-minded teams such as the Indians and Reds, is that he's becoming less productive and more expensive.
Marcus Giles struggled when the Braves made him their leadoff hitter last season. Yet, his salary could rise from $3.85 million to the $5.5 million range in his final year of arbitration. And, after next season, he will be a free agent.
The Braves could always decline to offer Giles a contract, but then the team would receive nothing in return. A trade makes more sense, and the Padres represent a logical fit.
Among the Padres' other possibilities at third, free agent Aramis Ramirez might be too expensive, Japanese third baseman Akinori Iwamura could go to a higher bidder and the White Sox's Joe Crede and the Astros' Morgan Ensberg might be out of reach in trades.
The Braves pursued Linebrink in a proposed deal for third baseman Wilson Betemit last summer. The Padres balked, preferring to keep their bullpen intact, and the Braves traded Betemit to the Dodgers for reliever Danys Baez and infielder Willy Aybar.
If the Braves traded Marcus Giles, Martin Prado, 23, would be one internal option at second. Shortstop Yunel Escobar, who has yet to play above Class AA, might be even more intriguing; he's showing significant offensive progress in the Arizona Fall League.