Padres can exploit the Yankees’ roster crunch with this bold trade call

The Padres are yet to make any big splashes in both free agency and trade, and a huge part of this is due to payroll constraints. The team has around $80 million to spend, which is a large amount of money, but they have to allocate it across a wide variety of needs.

From needing to fill three spots in the starting rotation, finding a replacement at first base, and adding a second catcher, A.J. Preller has to be very careful where he spends the available money.

However, one way the Padres could free up more payroll is by trading away an infielder that has been with the team since 2020, in Jake Cronenworth, who is due $12.2 million every year through 2031.

Cronenworth, a fan favorite, slashed .246/.367/.377 with 12 home runs while also playing three different infield positions in 2025.

Padres should explore a Jake Cronenworth/Jazz Chisholm Jr. swap with Yankees

The seven-year, $80 million contract that Cronenworth received in 2023 was definitely worth it, as he has been an above league-average hitter in four of his six seasons played, according to OPS+. But with the amount of needs the Padres have ahead of 2026, it may be time to listen to offers for the 31-year-old infielder.

The Padres should look at one team in particular in hopes of being able to move Cronenworth ahead of spring training.

The only issue is that Chisholm has significantly higher trade value than that of Cronenworth, which would mean the Padres would likely need to include a prospect or two in the trade, which is something they lack.

In 2025, Chisholm logged the first 30-home run season of his career while posting a 125 OPS+. New York plays in one of the easiest parks for left-handed hitters, as the short porch in right field sees tons of wallscrapers each season. Perhaps Yankees general manager Brian Cashman should take this into account when evaluating a trade for Cronenworth, who could be a perfect fit for Yankee Stadium with his pull-hitting tendencies.

Regarding the financials of the deal, Chisholm is due $11 million in 2026, which is slightly less than Cronenworth. What makes it intriguing is that Chisholm is on the books for only one year before hitting year three of arbitration, while Cronenworth is getting paid his $12.2 million each year for five years.

The Yankees and Padres are both trying to move on from these players, respectively, and this could turn out to be a win-win trade if the two parties go through with it.