Core Or Out The Door? Padres Trade Candidates, #6-10

With the offseason now in full gear and rumors flying about the Padres' ownership changing hands, a difficult decision might have to be made. This is part one of a series where we’ll analyze the Padres’ ten best players and how likely each player is to be traded this offseason. 

10. Adrian Morejon
Pros: Morejon’s breakout 2025 saw the reliever become an All-Star and one of the league’s elite relief pitchers. He ranked in the top 10% in eight advanced metrics, including pitching run value (95th percentile), fastball run value (93rd percentile), xERA (97th percentile), fastball velocity (94th percentile), average exit velocity (98th percentile), barrel rate (97th percentile), hard-hit rate (99th percentile), and ground-ball rate (92nd percentile). It’s what allowed him to finish the season with a 2.08 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP, and a 2.28 FIP. He is also cheap and under club control for the next three years. 

Cons: It feels like there aren’t many holes left in Morejon’s game. He’s cheap and under club control. There is almost no way Morejon will be traded this offseason. While it’s impossible to say a reliever is untouchable, especially with two other elite relievers on the team, this is a player San Diego will likely want to hold onto long-term. 

Chances of trade: 5% 

9. Joe Musgrove
Pros: When he’s been healthy, Musgrove has pitched like a star. He has a 3.20 ERA and a 3.68 FIP as a Padre, with a 4.18 K/BB ratio. In 2023, he boasted a fastball run value in the 96th percentile and a chase rate in the 99th percentile. His xERA of 3.11 ranked in the 90th percentile, his BB rate in the 90th percentile, and his barrel rate in the 87th percentile. and his hard-hit rate is in the 84th percentile. Musgrove has been a legit ace in the past. 

Cons: It will have been over a year and a half between Musgrove’s last start in September of 2024 and his next one in March 2026. Will Musgrove be the same pitcher he was before Tommy John surgery? Will he be the ace he was from 2021-2024, or will he regress due to age and injury? He’s owed $20 million in 2026 and another $20 million in 2027 before he becomes a free agent. Normally, that would be a fairly tradeable contract, but because he is coming off an injury, it’s probably unlikely. The Padres will also need Musgrove to pitch well in 2026, as their rotation looks thin as it is. 

Chances of trade: 5% 

8. Xander Bogaerts 
Pros: Despite his rough couple of seasons, Bogaerts is still one of the most respected shortstops in the league, and his defense remains strong. He’s a World Series champion with playoff experience and plenty of leadership to go around. His bat also improved slightly in 2025, getting back to a league-average level (99 OPS+, .720 OPS). 

Cons: The past two years have gone about as poorly as they could have gone for Bogaerts. The infielder, once considered to be one of the elite shortstops in the league, was worth 3.2 bWAR combined between 2024 and 2025. He’s now 33 years old, and his bat appears to be completely lost. His defense will be next to go (though he actually improved defensively in 2025). He’s also owed $236.8 million over the next eight years. If the Padres could trade Bogarts, they probably would, but the contract probably keeps him in San Diego for good. 

Chances of trade: 1%

7. Jason Adam 
Pros: He might be the best setup man in baseball. Last year, he held opponents to an xBA of .197 and had them wiffing 33.3% of the time. He has a 1.94 ERA and 3.05 FIP since 2024, and a 2.07 ERA since 2022. 

Cons: The expected stats show Adam might be due for some regression. His FIP has routinely been over a run higher than his ERA, and his 2.76 xERA in 2025 was significantly higher than his actual ERA of 1.93. On the other hand, these trends have held up for the past four years. If Adam has been able to have such a low ERA for four straight years, even with a higher FIP and xERA, perhaps there is some merit to the idea that Adam is simply better at pitching himself out of jams. The laws of regression haven’t applied so far. Any reliever is a possible trade candidate, simply on the basis that if a team is willing to give up top prospects, it has to be considered (especially with Mason Miller and Morejon already on the team). With that being said, trading away Adam seems highly unlikely. 

Chances of trade: 5% 

6. Jake Cronenworth 
Pros: He can play solid second base or first base, and has an above-average bat. While Cronenworth has not been the most consistent member of the Padres, he is talented and on a team-friendly contract that pays him $61.4 million over the next five years. 

Cons: It is beginning to feel unlikely that Cronenworth will ever repeat the 4.8 bWAR, 122 OPS+, All-Star campaign that launched him into stardom and helped him land his contract. That season was 2021, and since then, Cronenworth has averaged 2.2 bWAR per season. His expected stats looked rough in 2025, with an xAVG of .227 and an xSLG of .348, both ranking in the bottom 15% of the league. It’s possible a team looking for a second baseman would trade for Cronenworth, but moving off him would only open up another hole in the Padres’ infield (which already has a hole at first base). 

Chances of trade: 20%