Despite low ranking, Padres farm system still has hope

A recent MLB farm system ranking from Bleacher Report saw the Padres near the bottom of the league with the 28th ranked system. For fans of a team that for years has been touted as having one of the best farm systems in the league, the sight may be concerning for some. However even with the low ranking, the Padres still have two of the league's hottest prospects in Ethan Salas and Leodalis De Vries.

To add another spark of hope to San Diego's prospect situation, recent trade speculation surrounding Dylan Cease and Luis Arraez could see the Padres greatly improving that ranking. Trade predictions from Bleacher Report have the Padres landing top prospects from either the Mariners or Orioles if Cease or Arraez are dealt.

Padres could bolster farm system through blockbuster trades

As San Diego looks for a way to turn the expiring contracts of Arraez and Cease into a positive, possible trades could see the Padres receiving top ranked prospects. Recent predictions have Luis Arraez being dealt to the Mariners for catcher Mitch Haniger and infielder Michael Arroyo, Seattle's number 12 ranked prospect. Arroyo, a 20-year-old from Venezuela, primarily plays second and short, two positions the Padres are in desperate need of depth. Although he is yet to make his Major League debut, Arroyo has shown offensive prowess, quickly finding his way to the Low-A level only one year after being signed as an international free agent.

A possible Dylan Cease trade could see the starting pitcher sent to Baltimore, which now seems even more likely after the Orioles lost Corbin Burnes to Arizona. A possible package for Cease could include outfielder's Heston Kjerstad and Enrique Bradfield Jr., Baltimore's number four prospect. Bradfield, who was the Orioles' first round pick in the 2023 MLB draft, currently plays at the Double-A level, and is known for his speed on the base paths and defensive prowess in the outfield. He posted a 90.9% stolen base success rate during three years at Vanderbilt.

Even if the Padres were to keep both Cease and Arraez, fans should not be too worried about the future of the franchise. With key veteran players signed past the end of the decade, names like Salas and De Vries will have a plethora of baseball knowledge to learn from. Other top prospects in San Diego's system, including pitchers Henry Baez and Victor Lizarraga, could see time in the MLB as early as 2025. Baez, who put up a 2.99 ERA over 126.1 IP at the High-A and Double-A levels in 2024, has shown promise with a high 90's fastball and newly learned split-change. A high 10% walk rate has brought some concerns about his future as a starter.