The San Diego Padres haven’t been shy about blockbuster roster moves in recent years and this offseason could be no exception.
After loading up on a win-now roster ahead of the 2024 playoffs, the Padres now project for a $150 million payroll in 2025 with several star players heading into their final season of arbitration eligibility before they can explore major long-term deals as free agents. That seems to have placed one such player, Dylan Cease, on the trade block, despite the fact that the Padres acquired him less than a year ago.
“A move involving Cease seemed a faint possibility only weeks ago,” Dennis Lin reported for The Athletic. “But, in recent weeks, it has become clear that the Padres do not intend to significantly increase their current payroll commitments this offseason, if at all,”
Given the Padres’ financial situation, Tim Smart of FanSided named Luis Arráez as another one of the “Padres who won’t be back in 2025” as the team looks to offload pending free agents via trade.
“Likewise, the writing is on the wall for infielder Luis Arráez,” Smart wrote. “He’s also due nearly $14 million next year and will be a free agent after the upcoming season. The Padres don’t have many great options to fill in behind Arráez, but if they can get something in return for him, it makes a lot of sense to try and find a deal.”
Arráez is no stranger to being traded as he’s earned three straight batting titles, three straight All-Star nods and two Silver Slugger Awards across three different teams since 2022. His bat-to-ball skills are among the best in all of Major League Baseball, though a .398 slugging percentage from this past season suggests there’s some room for improvement in the power department.
Contending teams in need of an offensive boost should be interested in Arrárez. The Padres gave up four prospects to acquire him from the Miami Marlins ahead of the 2024 trade deadline but his value might be down a tick as he’s now lost half a season of discounted salary.
A team like the Philadelphia Phillies, which is looking to change their offensive profile after a disappointing 2024, might be in the mix if the Padres do place Arráez on the trading block.
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