This off-season was not really a great one for the San Diego Padres. Isn’t it? A. J. Preller’s General Manager spot is under scrutiny after they failed to make any major league additions. There has been an ownership feud too. Well, now, that is calling for a harsh decision regarding their $13 million ace. Wonder what is the relation?

Well, in order to maintain a proper payroll level, the Padres GM has to make this rather unconventional decision to trade their ace pitcher, who has been a constant every season. Although this decision may shock the Padres’ fans, the reality is that it’s the only feasible option for them right now.

The Padres look to trade their $13M ace due to payroll issues

Honestly, the San Diego Padres did not have a sound off-season. They failed to make any major league acquisitions, losing Roki Sasaki and now Tanner Scott – both of them signed with the Dodgers. San Diego is currently projected above the luxury tax threshold, but, with several pending gaps, A. J. Preller might have to trade their $13.75 million pitcher, Dylan Cease. Even though the team signed him to a one-year contract to avoid arbitration only in 2024, his name always comes up when they try to avoid overpaying the free agents.

Dylan Cease has posted an impressive 3.47 ERA and 224 strikeouts over the 189.1 innings, and last season, he even gave up 33 starts. Still, the question remains: how long would Dylan be connected with the Padres as he becomes a free agent in 2026? Additionally, paying $14 million to their infielder Luis Arraez, who might also leave for free agency the next season, is putting quite some pressure on their bank. Although they are projected to be around $39 million higher than the previous season, the Padres might need to cut costs by parting ways with Cease to get to a much better financial space.

The Padres aiming to get a superstar catcher in a blockbuster trade

Recently, the San Diego Padres have had talks with the Minnesota Twins regarding a trade for their catcher, Christian Vazquez. Although nothing has been finalized yet, the Padres require a catcher after losing Kyle Higashioka to the Texas Rangers in the free-agency trade. With Brett Sullivan and Luis Campusano already on their roster, if signing Vazquez would instantly give the team a top starter.

Vazquez has come off a good season as he slashed.221/.248/.327, making seven home runs and 27 RBIs. In his 10-year career, he made 68 home runs, 335 RBIs, and posted .253/.301/.373. So, evidently, he would be an upgrade over the Padres’ current catcher, Luis Campusano, whose defensive skills have been a blow for quite a while now. With a slashline of .227/.281/.361 and minus 0.5 FWAR, he is one of the weakest defensive catchers in MLB.

Now, both the Padres and Twins have not had an impactful off-season. So, trading Cease for Vazquez might just be the turning point. However, discussions are still underway where San Diego needs to decide how much of Christian Vazquez’s contract would they absorb to successfully manage their current financial condition.

So, while the San Diego Padres look to add more players through free agency and make some minor league signings, all we can do is wait! But we can keep speculating right? So, do share your thoughts on what you think the club should do!