Padres-Royals trade idea feels like a rare win-win waiting to happen

With spring training well underway, this is a time where front office members, and managers for that matter, assess the on-field talent that they have and identify areas where they can improve ahead of opening day.

One thing we can all agree on is that the Padres still have work to do on their starting rotation. It’s not from a place where anyone apart of the unit is bad talent wise, but recognizing that there are clear question marks about it.

Nick Pivetta and Michael King headline the front-end, with Joe Musgrove being right in the middle of it. As of now, Randy Vasquez and JP Sears round out the back-end. However, Musgrove is coming off injury, and their are questions about whether or not he will return to peak form.

Randy Vasquez can be a solid No. 4, but there are concerns about how JP Sears will fair in the five spot considering he logged a 5.04 ERA in 2025. San Diego needs to make one more big splash to solidify the starting unit, and there is one approach that we would love to see them take.

A Kris Bubic swap could be the cleanest Padres-Royals win-win on the board

This could be a perfect trade for both teams. The Padres need an arm. The Royals need another bat. San Diego can shed some payroll. The Royals can gain assets by trading an arm that they would end up losing in free agency.

What we’re getting at is that the Padres could arrange a package that would send Jake Cronenworth to Kansas City in exchange for Kris Bubic.

Cronenworth is due to make $12 million in 2026, and would fit nicely in the Kansas City infield that already consists of Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, and Vinnie Pasquantino. The Royals also moved their outfield fences in 10 feet, so a nice little pull to right-field would suit Cronenworth’s game.

The Padres would use the freed up payroll to pay Bubic’s 2026 salary of $6.5 million, settled in arbitration.

Bubic (8–7) logged a 2.55 ERA over 116.1 innings pitched, earning his first career All Star selection.

This deal just feels too perfect to pass up for either team.