Sep 22, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) is congratulated by Jake Cronenworth (9) after scoring during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Padres Are 'Aggressively' Trying to Trade Veteran Infielder

Originally posted on San Diego Padres on SI
By Patrick Warren | Last updated Dec 10, 2025 3:00 PM ET

Anyone who is anyone in Major League Baseball is in Orlando this week for the annual Winter Meetings, during which agents, front office members and media members trade league secrets and work on getting offseason trades or free agent signings done.

According to some league insiders, expectations for the Winter Meetings should be low in terms of shocking headlines.

“I think it’s going to be a boring Winter Meetings," one veteran GM told USA Today's Bob Nightengale. “I just can’t see much happening after talking to teams this past week."

However, the San Diego Padres could be among those who make a big move this week. The Los Angeles Dodgers have already made headlines by signing top free agent closer Edwin Diaz.

The Padres have made headlines in free agency, but not necessarily in a positive way. Former starting pitcher Dylan Cease was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays, leaving a major hole in the Padres' starting rotation.

Cease signed a seven-year, $210 million contract that proved far too much for the team to match. Ahead of his decision to join the World Series runners-up, the Padres extended a one-year qualifying offer worth $22 million, a mere formality that the team never expected Cease to sign. Cease's signing means the Padres will be eligible for a compensatory draft pick after the completion of the fourth round of the next amateur draft in July.

With Cease out the door, the Padres are making a serious push to bolster their starting pitching rotation. In addition to losing Cease, the Padres will be without starters Michael King, who is a free agent and is unlikely to re-sign, and Yu Darvish, who will miss the 2026 after undergoing UCL repair surgery.

In order to free up money to bring in a reliable starting pitcher, the Padres are aggressively shopping infielder Jake Cronenworth, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

Cronenworth has five years remaining on his seven-year, $80 million contract, and could free up space for the Padres to focus on improving their starting rotation. Cronenworth hit .246 last season, with 11 home runs and 59 RBI in 135 game. He is considered an average defender, with a T-119 ranked outs above average rating per Baseball Savant.

If the Padres are seriously considering dealing Cronenworth, there are plenty of teams that might be interested, including infield-needy Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Seattle.