Padres Could Make a Trade Before Opening Day, Says Insider

Valentina Martinez | Mar 20, 2025

Sep 4, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller looks on before a game against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres have been at the center of trade rumors throughout the offseason and this spring because of the organization's payroll restrictions entering the 2025 season.

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At one point, it appeared the Padres were open to trading one of their starting pitchers in Dylan Cease or Michael King.

Cease always seemed the more likely pitcher to be traded since he is owed nearly $14 million in 2025; however, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller indicated the plan was to keep the right-hander in the rotation.

"He's a very big part of our club," Preller told reporters including MLB.com's AJ Cassavell. "The additions the last couple days supplement what's a really good rotation. That's our focus here going forward — having that strong rotation."

As for King's odds of leaving San Diego, he even went as far to say he would be shocked if he was traded, given the one-year contract he had just signed with the Padres this offseason.

"I would be shocked, but I guess anything can happen," King told 97.3 The Fan. "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."

Although it appears the Padres are not willing to part ways with either starting pitcher, there are still other players that could be traded.

Padres insider Dennis Lin suggested the Friars could make a trade involving some of their bench players.

"Of course, there are clubs that could use at least a couple of these players," Lin writes. "A trade of Dylan Cease or Michael King remains unlikely before Opening Day, but president of baseball operations A.J. Preller might be spending more time considering moves on the fringes of the roster."

The Padres have plenty of difficult decisions to make at the back of their roster ahead of Opening Day. Those decisions could get a tad easier by San Diego moving one or two players before the regular season gets underway.

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For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.