Blockbuster Mock Trade Sends Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan to San Diego

Time is ticking, as it’s now or never for general manager A.J. Preller to make a big move that salvages the offseason.

San Diego doesn’t have the payroll flexibility to add any remaining notable free agents, and many of the team’s trade targets have already gone elsewhere. However, there is one American League Central club that could still fulfill the Padres’ needs.

That team is the Minnesota Twins, in the form of ace Joe Ryan and All-Star Byron Buxton.

Both Ryan and Buxton are coming off the best seasons of their careers in 2025. Ryan started 30 games and posted a 3.42 ERA and 3.74 FIP across 171 innings. His success stemmed from an ability to miss bats without giving free-passes, finishing the year with a 28.2% strikeout rate and a 5.7% walk rate.

Buxton, meanwhile, reminded the baseball world how dynamic he can be when healthy. In his first season with more than 500 plate appearances since 2017, he produced 35 home runs, 24 stolen bases and 97 runs, along with a 136 wRC+. His defensive value dipped to minus-1.4 outs above average, according to FanGraphs, but his baserunning value remained elite at plus-8.5.

So what would Preller have to do to acquire the Twins’ two cornerstones?

Padres receive:
Byron Buxton (three years, $45 million)
Joe Ryan (arbitration eligible)

Twins receive:
Nick Pivetta (four years, $55 million)
Humberto Cruz (No. 3 prospect)
Kash Mayfield (No. 4)
Bradgley Rodriguez (No. 6)
Romeo Sanabria (No. 21)

The haul is hefty, but that’s the cost of acquiring multiple star-level players. Pivetta is the key piece that makes the finances work. Individually, Buxton and Ryan are both on team-friendly deals for multiple seasons, but combined, San Diego would need to send back at least $15 million in salary.

Pivetta is set to earn $20 million in 2026, making him a viable salary match. Minnesota could then flip him down the line for additional assets as part of their rebuild.

From a prospect standpoint, the package is deep. Cruz and Mayfield offer high-upside arms that fit the Twins’ timeline. Cruz is already advanced for a 19-year-old, boasting 50-plus scouting grades on all three of his pitches and control. Mayfield brings physicality at 6-foot-4 and features a nasty left-handed delivery highlighted by a 60-grade changeup that’s already MLB-caliber at age 20.

Rodriguez is the MLB-ready arm in the deal. The Twins love controllable bullpen pieces, and Rodriguez fits that profile perfectly. He’s not eligible for free agency until 2032 and posted a 1.17 ERA in his first 7.2 innings of big-league action in 2025.

Sanabria rounds out the group as an offensive bat to diversify the package. While he lacks impressive scouting grades, his production has been great. A former 18th-round pick, he slashed .288/.396/.427 across Single-A and Double-A in 2024. He struggled in Double-A last season with a .684 OPS, but at 23, there’s still a time for development.

For the Padres, the fit is clear. Buxton could slot into either left field or center alongside Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr., forming the best outfield in baseball. Last season, that trio would have combined for 14.1 FanGraphs WAR, the highest mark in MLB.

Ramon Laureano would subsequently shift to a DH role - a spot that fits him better than every-day outfielder given his minus-8.4 defensive run value in 2025.

Buxton’s team-friendly $15 million AAV would also be a welcome addition to the payroll. With Manny Machado’s salary jumping from $25 million to $39 million in 2027, Preller needs to find value contracts wherever possible.

Ryan’s deal aligns even better with that approach. With two years of arbitration remaining, he’s projected to earn no more than $6.5 million in 2026 and roughly $12 million in 2027. Notably, he is currently in an arbitration dispute with Minnesota over a $500,000 gap in proposed salaries. Preller has never failed to agree on a deal with a player before arbitration hearings, so Ryan wouldn’t have to worry about getting low-balled in San Diego.

The only drawback is that swapping Pivetta for Ryan doesn’t solve the rotation’s depth issue. Still, San Diego has enough arms to make up a solid staff, and the salary savings allow the Padres to land another high-end talent in Buxton.

If Preller were to execute this deal, it would immediately improve the 2026 rotation outlook, give San Diego the best outfield in baseball, and diversify the organization’s financial commitments. It would save the offseason.