The Padres have a familiar offseason problem on their hands: too many financial commitments, not enough easy ways to trim them.
Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts are basically locked in unless San Diego is willing to swallow a hefty chunk of money. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill are part of the core, not part of the solution. Joe Musgrove is heading into the last year of his major deal, and Yu Darvish’s future is still up in the air.
That leaves Jake Cronenworth as the most realistic contract for the Padres to shop.
Cronenworth is starting the fourth season of his seven-year, $80 million contract, and he’s set to make more than $12 million in each of the next four seasons. He’ll be 33 when next season begins, and the bat hasn’t exactly pushed his value higher. He hasn’t been an All-Star since 2022, and in 2026 he posted a career-low .629 OPS over 109 games.
Still, this isn’t just about payroll relief. Moving Cronenworth would also clear a path that could matter to the franchise’s most important player. Tatis has made it clear he prefers the infield, but it’s never been easy for San Diego to justify shifting a Platinum Glove right fielder over to second base on a permanent basis.
The club did make that move when Tatis was struggling badly at the plate this season, and that change came with an immediate boost. His bat started to heat up once he was back on the dirt.
That matters because Tatis is entering the seventh year of his 14-year, $340 million contract, and at 27 he’s still in the middle of his prime. Keeping him performing at an elite level is the job that matters most for San Diego, and keeping him comfortable has to be part of that equation.
Cronenworth does have one thing working in the Padres’ favor: a partial no-trade clause. Even that restriction isn’t ironclad, though, since it only gives him the power to block eight teams. That still leaves plenty of possible trade partners, and if San Diego found a deal with a team on that list, there’s always the chance he could be persuaded to waive it.
If the Padres are willing to cover some of the money, a trade should be workable. If they want the full contract off the books, they may have to include a prospect to get it done.
In Other News...
Ethan Salas Just Made One Padres Decision A Lot More Complicated
Ethan Salas changed the conversation behind the plate for the Padres during the 2026 postseason, where his emergence gave the organization a real reason to think differently about the catcher spot going forward. What had looked like a position group with a clear pecking order now feels much less settled, especially with 2027 shaping up as a year when the club could be choosing between keeping a young catcher in the mix and preserving flexibility elsewhere on the roster.
The Padres already have four catchers on the 40-man roster, and Luis Campusano remains part of the equation thanks to his offensive upside and possible trade value. But with roster and salary pressure already looming in other areas, especially on the pitching side and at first base, carrying multiple catchers may not be as simple as it once was. Salas rise did not just create optimism at one position, it added another layer to a front office puzzle that already had plenty of moving parts. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Could Have A Surprising Infield Plan If Ty France Leaves
The Padres are expected to spend most of their offseason energy on starting pitching, but first base could become a quieter area of interest if Ty France moves on. San Diego has been linked to Jazz Chisholm Jr. as a possible fit there, and the idea makes some sense for a club looking for help without overcommitting financially. Chisholm, who is coming from the Yankees, is being viewed as a player who could give the Padres a different look while fitting into their broader payroll picture.
What makes the possibility more intriguing is the balance of upside and cost. Chisholms recent performance and contract expectations point to a budget-friendly addition, which is exactly the sort of move that can appeal to a team trying to improve multiple spots at once. If France does leave, San Diego may not need to chase a marquee replacement to keep the infield from becoming a concern, and Chisholm could wind up being one of the more surprising names tied to that opening. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Prospect Is Forcing A Bigger Right-Handed Bat Conversation
Alex McCoy is making noise in the Arizona Fall League at just the right time for a Padres organization that has been hunting for more impact from the right side. The prospect added another calling card to his resume with a home run at Peoria Sports Complex, a blast that left the bat at 118.2 mph and carried 435 feet, a reminder that his power is playing not just in the minors, but against a more advanced level of competition.
For San Diego, the interesting part is less the single swing than what it says about the broader conversation around adding a bigger right-handed bat. McCoy has shown power throughout the minor leagues, but doing it now in the AFL gives the Padres a fresh look at how his strength translates when the competition tightens, and it leaves the organization with another name worth tracking as it evaluates its future mix of impact hitters. [Read more 🡒]