The San Diego Padres are one win away from advancing to the NLDS and eliminating the Atlanta Braves.
They have been an interesting story this season. They traded away Juan Soto, only to add players such as Dylan Cease and Luis Arraez. They'll certainly plan to contend in 2025.
Josh Jacobs of FanSided listed the Padres as a potential fit for Willson Contreras, as the St. Louis Cardinals are ready to rebuild.
"We all know the San Diego Padres love themselves splash moves," Jacobs wrote. "They traded for Juan Soto two summers ago, signed Xander Bogaerts the following offseason, traded Soto the next offseason, then turned around and acquired both Dylan Cease and Luis Arraez.
Adding Contreras to their lineup of Arraez, Bogaerts, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Jackson Merrill would be a massive get for a club that will likely lose Jurickson Profar in free agency."
Contreras has three years of team control left, so if the Padres want to acquire him, they'll need to pay a hefty price and give St. Louis some Major League ready top prospects in return.
This is because the Cardinals will want to expedite their rebuild and bounce back into contention as soon as possible, perhaps as early as 2026.
But Contreras would give the Padres a significant boost in their lineup and could even put them in position to challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top spot in the National League West.
Contreras made two trips to the injured list this season, but should be back healthy for 2025. The 32-year-old catcher hit .262 with 15 home runs, 36 RBI, and an .848 OPS.
It will be interesting to see if the Padres make a move for Contreras and if they can meet the Cardinals asking price.
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