Padres' 'dream scenario' is to trade $280 million shortstop

Conor Liguori

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Padres' 'dream scenario' is to trade $280 million shortstop image

Rumors are swirling that the San Diego Padres could trade All-Star outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr., but general manager A.J. Preller recently said the "untouchable" Tatis is not going anywhere. 

The Padres could trade other players to shed payroll, and shortstop Xander Bogaerts is an obvious candidate if one of MLB's 29 other clubs agrees to take on his contract. 

"The Padres owe Bogaerts $25 million a year from 2026-33, so that's eight years and $200 million to go," Mike Axisa of CBS Sports wrote Monday. "It's a huge investment for a player who is already showing signs of decline and is just now getting into his mid-30s." 

Bogaerts hit.263/.328/.391 with 11 home runs and a.720 OPS in 136 games in 2025. The 33-homer season he had with the Boston Red Sox in 2019 is a thing of the past. 

Bogaerts' contract and age complicate matters 

Preller and San Diego's front office might have to get creative for another club to accept Bogaerts in a trade offer. 

"Trading Bogaerts will require eating money, and while no owner likes to pay a player to play for another team, there is a point at which it's worth it," Axisa wrote. "If the Padres pay down, say, $10 million a year to move Bogaerts, that still clears $15 million a year for the next eight years.

Simply put, there aren't many teams that want to pay an aging shortop $25 million a year while watching their offensive numbers and defensive capability decline. 

"And the more money you eat, the more you can expect in return, too, though I don't think Bogaerts will fetch a huge return either way," Axisa added. "The Padres could attach a prospect to Bogaerts to further entice potential trade partners, though the farm system is thin." 

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Senior Editor