One of the baseball teams in danger of trading off some of their pricey veterans in the upcoming seasons is the San Diego Padres. It is possible to trade away some costly contracts because a possible sale is in the works.
Despite trade rumors, some players, including Fernando Tatis Jr., are unlikely to be traded this offseason.
Thanks to a $60 million incentive, MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand thinks the Padres may try to move versatile All-Star infielder Jake Cronenworth this winter.
Padres have $60 million reason to trade Jake Cronenworth
“Cronenworth regressed a bit after his back-to-back All-Star campaigns in 2021-2022,” writes Feinsand, “but he rebounded last season, posting a 7.44 OPS with a career-high .367 on-base percentage in 135 games.”
The Padres may have a better chance of keeping Cronenworth if they have an offensive turnaround in 2025. However, another perspective to consider in light of his successful 2025 season is that his trade worth is higher than it has ever been.
The Padres would be more likely to sell him if he had just finished another poor season, but they probably wouldn’t be able to find a suitable destination.
However, AJ Preller and the Padres may now receive much more in exchange for Cronenworth following a successful 2025 campaign.
“The versatile infielder signed for $60 million over the next five years,” says Feinsand, “So moving him would give the Padres some much-needed financial flexibility while likely being able to land a solid return.”
At the beginning of the season, Cronenworth will be 32 years old, and he will remain under supervision until the 2030 season. After a successful season, any team that acquires Cronenworth would be getting a versatile infielder at a fair price.
Although the Padres would want to keep Cronenworth, trading him for a good return is preferable to trading a guy like Tatis or Xander Bogaerts.
Feinsand considers Cronenworth to be the Padres’ top trade candidate this winter, so the team should consider moving on from him this offseason given the return package and the $60 million that was freed up.
