Padres Taking Trade Offers on $60 Million All-Star: Report

In a desperate attempt to improve the roster without any financial flexibility, the Padres are listening to offers for All-Star second baseman Jake Cronenworth.

The left-handed bat has five years and more than $60 million remaining on a seven-year, $80 million extension he signed in 2023. Hypothetically, any move involving Cronenworth would be made quickly and primarily to open payroll space to pursue left-handed ace Framber Valdez on the free-agent market.

As it stands, the Padres have Korean star Sung-Mon Song on the bench, and he could step into Cronenworth’s role should a deal materialize. Valdez would then slot in as a much-needed ace to pair with right-handers Joe Musgrove, Nick Pivetta and Michael King. Adding Valdez would transform the Padres’ rotation from its biggest question mark into a massive strength.

A top-four rotation featuring four ace-caliber arms, paired with an elite bullpen that finished with a league-best 3.06 ERA in 2025, would make the Padres one of baseball’s premier run-prevention teams.

On the other hand, Cronenworth has been a cornerstone in San Diego since his 2020 rookie campaign, when he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting and helped lead the franchise to its first postseason appearance since 2006.

He represented San Diego in the All-Star Game in both 2021 and 2022 and solidified himself as one of the top second basemen in MLB. He is also coming off one of the best seasons of his career, posting 11 home runs, a .367 on-base percentage and a 117 wRC+ across 515 plate appearances in 2025.

Moving Cronenworth would not just be a salary dump. It would be a controversial sacrifice made in an effort to repair a depleted rotation and compensate for other worse, untradable contracts (Bogaerts).

If the Padres choose to go down that path, the move would need to happen quickly. Spring training is just weeks away, and a player of Valdez’s caliber will want his future settled before then. San Diego would need to move Cronenworth first before finalizing any deal with Valdez, as the organization remains committed to keeping payroll at its 2025 level.

In a worst-case scenario trading Cronenworth without a follow-up addition of Valdez would be disastrous. The Padres have already lost All-Stars Ryan O’Hearn, Luis Arraez and Robert Suárez, along with starter Dylan Cease, and the roster cannot withstand another unanswered subtraction.

However, if the Padres believe shedding Cronenworth’s salary could directly strengthen a questionable rotation, the sacrifice is worth considering.

Should the Padres trade Jake Cronenworth to improve the pitching staff, or is he a Padre for life?