The San Diego Padres have two priorities this offseason: acquire multiple pitchers and find a power bat for the middle of the lineup.
San Diego’s starting rotation is in shambles after right-hander Dylan Cease signed with the Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander Michael King elected free agency. Veteran righty Yu Darvish will miss the entirety of the 2026 season as well, leaving three spots to be filled this offseason, especially an ace.
“They have the flexibility to be creative with addressing both needs, and when it comes to creative baseball solutions, A.J. Preller is your man,” ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle wrote Thursday. “The rotation saw Cease and Michael King hit free agency, and Cease is now in Toronto. That's some high-impact stuff that's not easy to replace, unless you decide to make Mason Miller a starter again. Doing that and re-upping with Robert Suarez would be a less pricey proposition than what it would cost to land a top free agent or trade candidate. As for the power bat, San Diego has plenty of playing time to offer a first baseman or designated hitter type, both spots that ought to be a good source of the home run power the Padres need.”
San Diego has plenty of options to mull through on the pitching side of things, but if the Padres don’t re-sign infielder Luis Arraez to be the everyday first baseman and doesn’t pursue star slugger Pete Alonso, San Diego may utilize the trade market to find a powerful first baseman.
The St. Louis Cardinals have signaled a rebuild and are open to moving their veteran players. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan believe the Padres are the favorite to land three-time All-Star and 2016 World Series champion Willson Contreras if he is moved.
“Contreras always hits, and even with $41.5 million owed over the next two years (with a club option for a third), teams could use his on-base skills,” McDaniel and Passan wrote Tuesday. “He has expressed his desire to stay in St. Louis, though, and with a full no-trade clause through the end of 2026, threading the needle on the right deal could be a time suck for a team that needs to spread its bandwidth wisely.
“Contreras moved to first base full time in 2025 and was a standout defensively, ranking third in baseball in runs saved. His plate discipline is just OK, but he always does damage at the plate, in large part due to his bat speed, which ranks eighth in baseball. He has posted 2.7 to 3.5 WAR five years in a row, and is a solid bet, especially considering he is a 33-year-old right-handed-hitting first baseman.”
He is unlikely to be moved, but Contreras would be a huge boost offensively and defensively and consideration would be worth A.J. Preller’s while.