Padres rumors: Club showing surprising interest in Wilson Contreras

Padres showing surprising interest in Wilson Contreras

Just because the San Diego Padres didn’t make a big splash in free agency doesn’t mean they’re not thinking about upgrades.

According to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, the Padres are among the teams checking in with the Chicago Cubs about Wilson Contreras.

The 29-year-old is entering his final year of club control, and several teams have expressed interest.

However, the Cubs could also extend him, though there has been no indication so far that those conversations are happening.

The Cubs were major sellers at the 2021 trade deadline, sending Kris Bryant to the San Francisco Giants and Anthony Rizzo to the New York Yankees. At the time, it looked like they were headed for a significant rebuild, but then they were active in offseason activities – including signing veteran catcher Yan Gomes – so it’s clear their priorities are shifting more towards making a push to contend in 2022.

The Gomes signing would suggest that the Cubs are open to moving Contreras, but the new Collective Bargaining Agreement’s implementation of the Universal DH means that the Cubs have use for both players.

Since the Padres have been unable to find a trade partner for Eric Hosmer or Wil Myers, acquiring Contreras would be costly for them. Spotrac puts their luxury tax commitments at ________, which isn’t far from the newly-raised $230M threshold. The Padres paid the tax last year, and it increases significantly with each consecutive season of overage. According to Dennis Lin of The Athletic (subscription required), the Padres are hoping to stay under the threshold this season, which would reset their tax obligations.

However, Fernando Tatis Jr. being sidelined approximately three months with a fracture to his arm complicates the Padres’ budget. Losing him for roughly one-third of the season significantly diminishes their offensive output, which will stand in stark contrast to the powerhouse lineup of the Los Angeles Dodgers a couple hours up the coast.

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