Padres Are Being Left Behind in Free Agency - This Trade Target Could Change That

When one door closes, another opens.

That’s the perspective the Padres front office needs to adopt this offseason, as the team has no money to spend and National League rivals continue to sign big names off the market.

As predicted following the Alex Bregman signing, the dominoes are falling quickly, with NL contenders going tit for tat in free agency. The latest headline came from the New York Mets, who pivoted off Kyle Tucker and signed shortstop Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract.

Breaking: Bo Bichette to Mets. $126M, 3 years
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 16, 2026

It’s certainly not ideal that nearly every NL contender - except the Padres - has been making splashy signings all offseason. If general manager A.J. Preller is going to make the most of this situation, he has to find crafty ways to improve the roster.

One way to do that is by capitalizing on the opportunities these big signings create. The Mets have now completely revamped their infield, adding Bichette, Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco to support superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor.

That leaves former playoff hero Mark Vientos as the odd man out in the projected lineup. After a dominant 2024, Vientos came back to earth last season, with his wRC+ dropping from 132 to 97.

He may not be a superstar, but Vientos could be exactly the type of buy-low player San Diego needs to improve the lineup’s depth.

After losing All-Star Ryan O’Hearn to the Pirates, the Padres appear set to use a combination of lefties Gavin Sheets and Jake Cronenworth at first base. While both are above-average hitters, they struggle against left-handed pitching and would be better utilized as platoon bats at a position that demands strong offensive production.

Vientos, who plays both first and third base, would provide the right-handed platoon presence and positional versatility needed to complete the lineup.

He dominated during his breakout 2024 season, posting 27 home runs, a .356 wOBA and a 132 wRC+ in 454 plate appearances. Against lefties, those numbers were even better, with his wRC+ climbing to 145 and his wOBA to .375.

In 2025, the production regressed. Vientos finished with 17 home runs, a .303 wOBA and a 97 wRC+ in 463 plate appearances. Still, he maintained his ability to improve against left-handed pitching, posting a 105 wRC+ and .315 wOBA in those matchups.

Trading for a player coming off that type of regression isn’t ideal, but San Diego wouldn’t need Vientos to transform the lineup. They would need him to do what he does best: mash left-handed pitching.

As currently constructed, the Padres project to use Cronenworth as an everyday option at first and second base, with Sheets and Korean addition Sung-Mun Song filling in wherever Cronenworth doesn’t start - Sheets at first base or Song at second.

The issue with that construction is that Sheets and Song are both left-handed hitters, which limits manager Craig Stammen’s strategic flexibility. With Vientos, a new range of options opens up.

The Padres could run a consistent platoon of Sheets and Vientos at first base, allowing Cronenworth to play his natural position at second while Song serves as a backup.

Alternatively, Vientos could operate as a bench bat, giving Stammen the freedom to start three lefties - Sheets at DH, Cronenworth at first and Song at second - knowing he has a right-handed option for key at-bats against southpaws.

Vientos could also help support 33-year-old Manny Machado. A natural third baseman, he could get occasional starts at the hot corner, allowing Machado to slide into the DH role. That strategy would be especially effective against left-handed starters.

Machado Mets Padres — Aug 23, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; Umpire Mike Muchlinski signals safe as San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) beats the throw to New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) during the first inning at Petco Park. | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Some may argue it’s too risky to give up any part of an already depleted farm system for a regressing bat, but Vientos isn’t completely trending downward.

His BABIP dropped from .324 in 2024 to .277 in 2025. Usually, that's an indicator of a player's luck running out, but for Vientos, his metrics indicate that he’s still hitting the ball really hard.

Last season, he finished in the 82nd percentile in exit velocity (91.4 mph), 72nd percentile in barrel rate (11.5%) and 89th percentile in hard-hit rate (50.5%). Those aren’t the numbers of a player that can’t produce at a high level.

In a time where the Dodgers, Mets, Phillies and Cubs are the only teams willing to spend big, general managers like Preller have to take advantage of every chance they get to improve. Vientos represents a natural fit and a buy-low opportunity that could be exactly what the Padres need heading into spring training.