The San Diego Padres have a big offseason ahead of them. After being eliminated by the Chicago Cubs in the NL Wild Card round, manager Mike Shildt announced that he will be stepping down as manager.
On top of that, they have key free agent decisions with Dylan Cease and Luis Arraez. If Arraez departs in free agency, that means the Padres will have a positional void to fill at first base.
Rays' rumored to be open to trading first baseman Yandy Diaz
There were trade rumors surrounding Tampa Bay Rays Yandy Diaz back in July, but he didn't ultimately get moved. Now, as hot stove approaches once again, the rumors are back.
In a recent trade predictions piece by Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller, Yandy Diaz is named as a 'prime target' for the San Diego Padres:
"San Diego Padres: A Trade for a First or Second Baseman
Prime Target: Tampa Bay's Yandy Díaz ($12M in 2026, conditional option for 2027)"
If Arraez already has one foot out the door, the Padres will need to try and replace that hit tool production, and Yandy Diaz is a better option than Arraez when you dig deeper into his stats.
Diaz not only hits for average (.300 in 150 games this season), but also for power. He clubbed 25 home runs this season, and his OPS+ was well above league-average at 136.
There's no doubt that Yandy Diaz would be an upgrade to the Padres lineup, but he may also be featured as a DH because his defense has taken a step back over the past few seasons.
The only thing stopping this trade idea from happening is that the Rays may want to hold onto their first baseman if they believe they are playoff contenders next season.
Either way, if the Padres do lose Luis Arraez, the right side of the infield will still have a void. Jake Cronenworth could also take over at first, but then San Diego would have to fill that hole.
More MLB news:
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