Padres Would Acquire Potential Star Outfielder, Pitcher in 4-Player Blockbuster Trade Idea

Dec 5, 2022; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller speaks to the media at Manchester Grand Hyatt. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres have several roster needs to address before Opening Day. Given the stillness of the offseason, fans are beginning to wonder how the Padres will head into the season with a championship roster, let alone a complete one.

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General manager A.J. Preller hinted toward a flurry of moves coming soon.

“Gotta add a bat or two, gotta add an arm or two," Preller said at the team's Fan Fest.

The latest proposal from Bleacher Report's Zachary M. Ryder has starting pitcher Michael King and reliever Jason Adam being sent to Baltimore, in exchange for outfielder Heston Kjerstad and right-hander Dean Kremer.

The Baltimore Orioles have been linked to Padres right-hander Dylan Cease; however, Ryder believes a cheaper pivot for the AL team would be acquiring King and Adam instead. Cease is owed $14 million this season, and it's been rumored the Padres are looking to trade him in order to cut payroll.

If the Orioles acquire King and Adam instead, the team would be fortifying its rotation and bullpen. When San Diego signed King to a one-year deal last week, it appeared he would remain with the Padres for the 2025 season.

King even said he would be surprised if he was traded this winter at Fan Fest.

"I would be shocked, but I guess anything can happen," King said. "I didn't think I was going to be traded over here that offseason last year. I know that the baseball world is crazy so you don't want to make those plans and the baseball gods are going to tell you something different."

King produced a 2.95 ERA with 201 strikeouts across 173.2 innings. King made two postseason starts for the Padres, sporting a 3.75 ERA over 12 innings. His 30 starts were 11 more than he had made in his first five MLB seasons combined.

As for the return, Kjerstad is a former first-round pick and top prospect who has a career .746 OPS across 52 MLB games. Kremer had a 4.10 ERA across 24 starts last season, but could benfit from working with pitching coach Ruben Niebla.

There is speculation that Cease is the most likely candidate to leave San Diego; however, Ryder's four-player trade is a possibility.

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