Here is a look at five crazy trade ideas for the San Diego Padres this winter. Enjoy. 

It is MLB trade season.

The San Diego Padres will surely be active.

For A.J. Preller, he must address some financial issues and, at the same time, solidify the team for the future. The Padres are dealing with several free agents this winter (Ha-Seong Kim, Jurickson Profar, Tanner Scott). They also have three key free agents next winter (Michael King, Dylan Cease, and Luis Arraez) who are at the nucleus of the club.

The Padres will either need to go into the next payroll threshold or get creative in moving some future commitments.

Here are five crazy trade ideas for the Padres as they dig to improve their roster.

*Disclaimer- Take these propositions with a grain of salt. This is purely for fun.

Again. This is purely for fun.

One more time- This is purely for fun.

#1- Dylan Cease, Jake Cronenworth, Tirso Ornelas, and Eguy Rosario to the Seattle Mariners for Logan Gilbert, Mitch Haniger, and Bryan Woo

Of all five potential deals, this one has the most merit for both sides. The Padres need young, controllable pitchers, and the Mariners need offensive players, but the addition of Dylan Cease only strengthens their top half of the rotation. Some would argue Gilbert is a better pitcher now. That may be the case, but he doesn’t have the track record of Cease, who eats innings and strikes batters out consistently. The Mariners are built to win now. They may value the veteran arm.

Jake Cronenworth is nothing to write home about, but he can play multiple positions and is serviceable in the lineup. The money owed to Cronenworth (6 years and around $72 million) becomes palatable, as the Padres would take on Haniger and the $15.5 million option he owns for the 2025 season. Ornelas and Rosario provide more prospects to potentially become everyday players for Seattle. Both men are blocked in San Diego, and will get no playing time with the Padres. The Padres could also add a lower-tiered prospect into this deal for the M’s.

#2- Xander Bogaerts, Jason Adam, and Eguy Rosario to the Boston Red Sox for Rafael Devers and a prospect

I know. I know. Wishful thinking here. But, hey, Bogaerts is really beloved in Boston. The Red Sox have shortstop issues, and he could help them with that. Devers and Bogaerts are owed close to the same amount over the next decade. The Padres are on the hook for around $230 million and nine years for Bogaerts through the 2033 season. Devers is under contract for $284 million and nine years, as he will get paid until the 2033 season as well. Obviously, Devers is the better offensive player, but what would it take to even out this deal?

Enter Jason Adam. He is under control for the next two seasons and would probably step into the closer role for the Red Sox. Adam is valuable, but the Padres could easily add a prospect who is major league-ready like Eguy Rosario. The infielder could help offset the loss of Devers and play third base for Boston in a pinch. The Padres would love to add Devers bat, and he could remain at first base moving forward.

#3- Xander Bogaerts, Victor Lizarraga, Matt Waldron, Jagger Haynes, and Tirso Ornelas to the Los Angeles Angels for Mike Trout and Reid Detmers

This would be a doozy. Mike Trout is baseball royalty, but he hasn’t been able to play consistently on the field for years. The Angels are arguably at a point where they may be looking for a new look for the team. Trout is due around $222 million for the next six years. Bogaerts would be cheaper per season, though the Angels would need to pay him for three more years than Trout. Xander Bogaerts is likely to stay healthy and play the majority of the time, which has value in itself for the Angels.

To even out the deal, the Padres could exchange young pitchers with the Angels (Detmers for Waldron) and compensate with Tirso Ornelas or another hitting prospect. The Padres could also include a young pitcher like Lizarraga, who is close to major league action. Haynes is also a nice prospect with some upside. Adding Trout is an overall risk for the Padres, especially when he would cost more than Bogaerts, but this is a deal worth exploring. For the Angels, a whole new look for the team may be the best way to attack the 2025 season.

#4- Dylan Cease, Luis Campusano, and Bradgley Rodriguez to the Atlanta Braves for Michael Harris II

Of all these deals, this one is tough to conceive (even I admit that). Obtaining Michael Harris would be difficult as the 23-year-old is under contract through the 2030 season for $57 million and then has two years of team options. The Braves would need to be enticed, and Dylan Cease may be able to do that for Atlanta. The Georgia native will be relatively cheap this season in the last year of his contract. Cease is due to make a decent amount in free agency, and the Braves may choose to invest in him over Max Fried, who is currently a free agent.

Luis Campusano and Bradgley Rodriguez would be used to further entice the Braves into this deal. Jackson Merrill is currently entrenched in the center field position for the Padres, but the addition of Harris could push Merrill back to his natural shortstop position. That is something that would be exciting for the Padres. San Diego could increase the prospect haul in this deal, and that is probably what it would take to acquire Michael Harris, a hometown guy for the Braves.

#5- Jake Cronenworth, Luis Campusano, and Eguy Rosario to the Toronto Blue Jays for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is headed into free agency in 2026. The Blue Jays and Guerrero do not seem close to an extension. Toronto may elect to deal their homegrown talent now and maximize the haul. The Padres do not need a rental, but if they could entice the Blue Jays into taking Jake Cronenworth, the deal makes sense. Cronenworth is a financial commitment, but he requires only a fraction of what it would take to re-sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

To further sweeten the deal for the Blue Jays, the Padres could add Luis Campusano and Eguy Rosario. They may also be able to add in a lower-tiered prospect. Adding Guerrero this season would be a financial upgrade for the Padres, but they would not be on the hook for the remaining years of Cronenworth’s contract. Guerrero in the middle of the Padres lineup would be wicked, but Toronto would be hard-pressed to deal their superstar unless they are satisfied in the return. The Padres may need to sweeten the deal even more, especially if they want the Jays to take Cronenworth.

This was a fun piece to write. Not meant to be taken seriously.

Relax.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.