The Trade That Can Take Padres to the…

The San Diego Padres locked horns with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS and almost took them down. Their offense faltered in the final two games, blowing a 2-1 series lead and losing in five games. After a fantastic regular season, it was another disappointing postseason for San Diego. The Padres must improve by making an offseason trade for an outfielder, namely Taylor Ward.

Just like 2024, the 2023 offseason was highlighted by Juan Soto. The outfielder was traded from the Padres to the Yankees along with centerfielder Trent Grisham. When both of those guys left, San Diego did not have any true outfielders left. They ran out three former shortstops in the outfield for the entire season and it worked. Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatis, and Jurickson Profar all held their own out there but they must get a long-term solution.

There could be significant defensive changes for the Padres this winter. Ha-Seong Kim was the shortstop on a team full of them and he is a free agent. Profar could be headed elsewhere as well after a career year. Merrill will likely stay in centerfield, as he became the team’s biggest star by the end of the year, and Tatis has been an outfielder for a while now. Picking up a true outfielder while maintaining the salary cap is key.

Taylor Ward is the best option out there for the Padres to pick up. Despite the worst season in Angels history, Ward was solid in left field last year. He hit 25 homers with 75 RBI, posted a 111 OPS+, and has a solid glove. With San Diego’s ability to make infielders into outfielders, Ward can become a great glove by the end of the season.

Taylor Ward a great fit to join the Padres

The Padres would have two years of control if they traded for Ward this offseason. He is arbitration-eligible this year and next year before hitting unrestricted free agency in 2027. That is key for the Padres, who have a ton of money tied up in their stars and need depth to beat the Dodgers.

The Angels are looking to trade valuable pieces for prospects after another miserable season. They also picked up Jorge Soler already this offseason, which clogs up the left-field role. As another transitional era begins in Anaheim, Ward is a player who should be moved to give them some more prospects to choose from.

Another intriguing name to watch for the Padres is Brent Rooker. He is traditionally a designated hitter as he is a poor defender in the outfield. But the Padres just coached up Jackson Merrill to play center field, so could they get average fielding out of Rooker? If they think they can, he has been one of the strongest hitters in baseball over the past two years.

The best outfielder who could be traded this offseason is Luis Robert Jr. The White Sox centerfielder had the worst season of his career on the 121-loss team but still has value. When healthy, he is one of the best centerfielders in the game but he has struggled to do so in his career. White Sox general manager Chris Getz said he is unlikely to trade Robert this offseason.

Final outfielder trade decision

The Padres should trade prospects Kale Fountain and Francis Pena to the Angels for Taylor Ward. This is a deal that benefits both teams, as San Diego keeps their top-ten in tact but Los Angeles gets two solid players. Fountain is in rookie ball and is not expected to come up until 2028. Pena is a pitcher who could make his debut this season.

While Robert would be a huge get, he is unlikely to be traded. The Padres also drained their top-end prospects to get Tanner Scott at the trade deadline, which makes Robert harder to get. And Rooker is a solid option too but the glove is an important piece of this deal. Ward is the best fit and should be in San Diego by opening day.