Brandon Lowe gives Padres a reason to reopen the Jake Cronenworth trade debate

The Padres should be willing to make their infield uncomfortable if it means they’ll be putting out a better lineup. Brandon Lowe looks like a pretty good reason to start rearranging the furniture. In his free-agent projections for The Athletic, Jim Bowden lists San Diego among Lowe’s best fits and predicts a three-year, $45 million contract. That puts a left-handed power bat at the keystone for an estimated $15 million per season.

At that price, we should expect the Padres to give the idea some thought. They can’t do that without the conversation leading straight to Jake Cronenworth. Second base is occupied by him. But it shouldn’t be closed for business.

Lowe just delivered 35 home runs across a career-high 150 games for Pittsburgh, with a 121 OPS+ and defensive run value in the 96th percentile. That’s a compelling combination for a Padres team that wants more offense out of the infield without sacrificing defensive prowess.

San Diego would have options beyond buying a bat and reserving the DH spot for him. Finding the best option would require an honest assessment of Cronenworth’s place on this roster.

Brandon Lowe would make the Padres confront their infield choices

Cronenworth has given the Padres plenty of solid baseball. His ability to handle first and second base gives a manager room to maneuver, and there’s value in having a player who can move around the infield. But that versatility also makes it easy to keep asking him to accommodate the next decision. Depending on what player the sign, they could slide Jake over and figure the rest out later.

But fans should want a more complete move decision this time around. Moving Cronenworth to first base would create room for Lowe at second. It would also commit another lineup spot before the Padres finish examining their other offensive options. First base is an opportunity to add production, especially if they don’t bring back Ty France. San Diego would need to judge the resulting lineup as a whole.

Using Lowe at DH could preserve Cronenworth’s position, but those plate appearances have a cost. Every game assigned there leaves fewer opportunities to rest another regular’s legs while keeping his bat in the order. And paying for Lowe’s ability to play second, then rarely using it, would leave part of the appeal on the bench.

That brings us back to the idea of moving Cronenworth in a trade. He’s under contract through 2030, so moving him would require a willing partner and an acceptable financial arrangement. The Padres should explore that. But they can’t count on salary relief.

The Padres need to price the entire move

Bowden’s $45 million prediction gives this idea a fair place to start. The actual cost would include whatever San Diego needed to do to accommodate Lowe.

If trading Cronenworth meant eating substantial money or attaching a meaningful prospect, the bargain would get smaller. If keeping both players forced another expensive addition to fix the lineup elsewhere, that’s part of the math too.

Lowe carries his own risk. His healthiest season is encouraging, but the Padres would be paying for what comes next. He’s 32, just like Cronenworth, so a three-year commitment would bring another veteran into his mid-30s. We’d be betting that Lowe’s stronger bat makes the health risk worth taking. That could be a worthwhile upgrade, but one better season shouldn’t be enough to sell the Padres on the next three.

Even with those complications, the opportunity deserves attention. If Lowe is available near Bowden’s projection, A.J. Preller should find out what making room would actually cost.

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