Padres Could Trade Bogaerts, Machado, Tatis If They Struggle Next Year, Says USA Today Insider

The San Diego Padres had one of the more disappointing seasons in baseball history this past year, and now they enter the offseason trying to figure out what went wrong. Missing the playoffs was frustrating for everyone involved, and they are trying to get themselves back into contention next season.

MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today is reporting that if the Padres were to underwhelm once again this offseason, the team could quietly shop their cast of All-Star talent to free up payroll flexibility.

“If they’re not competitive again this summer, don’t be surprised if they quietly ask Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts or Fernando Tatis if they’d be willing to lift their no-trade clause to move them to a contender. Yes, as several executives say, how in the world can you ever rebuild with those contracts.”

Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today

It’s unlikely that the Padres won’t be competitive again this season, but in the rare case, the team will look to make changes. They can’t continue to do the same thing over and over again, so this coming season will be the final chance for this core.

The team has gone all-in over the last few years and has gotten a little crazy in terms of spending. They will need to take away some money on the books going forward, especially if there is no success coming on the field.

It could be difficult to find trade partners for Machado and Bogaerts due to their age, so they would likely need to eat a good portion of the contract. But Tatis Jr. does represent an interesting prospect to be moved.

Teams would be lining up to land him, and he is still in the prime of his career. This could be the best avenue for a potential deal with one of their stars going forward.

San Diego has spent a lot of time putting these players together, and they don’t want to break this core up. But it’s a business after all, and they have to do what is in the best interest of the team long-term.