Padres Don't Want to Trade $14 Million All-Star: Report

The San Diego Padres have yet to make a splash in free agency but they have avoided arbitration with some of the biggest stars.

Among the five players who the Padres agreed to terms with was Luis Arraez.

The three-time batting champion has reportedly been someone the Padres are willing to trade in order to slash payroll. They have also entertained trade ideas involving Dylan Cease, Jake Cronenworth and others under team control.

However, San Diego might have changed course with Arraez.

"League sources said the Padres recently indicated they would prefer to hold on to at least Arraez, but his newly agreed-upon $14 million salary poses a potential obstacle to addressing other areas of the roster," according to Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Current projections place the Padres close to the luxury tax threshold, which appears to restrict the financial flexibility of a team that previously spent significantly above that limit prior to Peter Seidler’s passing in November 2023.

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Seidler's family has also been the center of attention after his widow, Sheel Seidler, filed a lawsuit in Texas regarding breaches of fiduciary duty and fraud, broadcasting her desire to gain control of the team.

Sheel Seidler dropped her bombshell just days before the Padres were set to host Roki Sasaki for a second interview. The high-profile dispute has executives around the league wondering just how bad this lawsuit is for the franchise.

“Nothing good is going to come of this,” one industry veteran said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “Even the combatant that wins is not going to look good.”

The Padres have a laundry list of things they want to accomplish over the next year like sign Michael King, extend Jackson Merrill and win a World Series but one has to wonder if the lawsuit will have a long-term effect that can't be seen right now.

“You’ve got to take that into account and say everything is something that has to be discussed,” one player agent said. “Is it going to impact what they offer me? Is it going to impact if they build a winning team around me? Is it going to impact a lot of different things? … Everything’s part of the conversation. Is that a positive or a negative in the conversation? It’s a negative. Because it’s right in front of you.”

In light of Sasaki signing with the Dodgers, it'll be interesting to see how the Padres pivot after being snubbed.

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