Cardinals-Padres Trade Speculation Makes Perfect Sense For San Diego

The Padres could entice Cardinals infielder Willson Contreras to waive his no-trade clause...

Sep 13, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (40) draws a walk against the Milwaukee Brewers in the third inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are likely going to look to make a few big trades this offseason, but most of their top trade chips have no-trade clauses. Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, and Willson Contreras are the three big trade chips with no-trade clauses attached to their contracts.

While it seems like Gray and Arenado would be willing to waive their clauses for certain situations, the book is still open on Contreras.

Josh Jacobs of Redbird Rants recently suggested the Cardinals could move Contreras to the San Diego Padres. Jacobs suggested the Padres and their situation could be enough to convince the slugger to waive his no-trade clause.

Padres make sense as a suitor for Cardinals' Willson Contreras

Sep 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (40) celebrates after hitting a RBI single against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

"The Padres, despite star talent like Fernando Tatis Jr, Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, and Xander Bogaerts, finished 13th in baseball in wRC+ as a team and 18th in runs scored, clearly lacking the firepower necessary to score runs at a high level," Jacobs wrote. "Luis Arraez and Ryan O'Hearn are set to hit free agency, and with multiple high-level pitchers of theirs hitting the market as well, the Padres are going to have to get creative in how they upgrade their offense and maintain a good pitching staff.

"Contreras could provide them with another middle-of-the-order bat and fiery personality for their clubhouse. The Padres are a team that feeds off energy, and Contreras would fit right in. While Contreas is not on a 'bad' contract like Nolan Arenado or Sonny Gray, my guess is that it wouldn't cost a ton to acquire him in a deal, making a move easier for the Padres to pull off."

For Contreras to be moved, he would likely want to be added to a contender. The Cardinals aren't going to be a contending team for the next few years, so San Diego could give him a much better situation.

The Padres are going to need to add a first baseman in the offseason as Luis Arráez is set to hit free agency in the winter. Replacing the soft hitting Arráez with a slugger like Contreras would give the Padres a big boost to their home run potential.

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