San Diego Padres rumors: 3 star players not named Juan Soto that could be moved this winter

2. The San Diego Padres could trade Xander Bogaerts this winter

Insert The Simpsons meme where the old man puts his hat on the coat rack, only to leave right after. That's what the San Diego Padres trading Xander Bogaerts would look like.

If trading Bogaerts one year into his 11-year pact with the Friars is what it'll take to extend Soto (as Nightengale wrote), that's a steep price to pay. The 31-year-old shortstop was solid in 2023, with 19 home runs and a 120 OPS+ at the dish, the kind of production at a premium position that teams would want to acquire.

Winning long-term comes at a cost, but you don't have to tell the Padres that. The possibility of trading Bogaerts nonetheless appears slim, at best. And moving a big contract at his age is never an easy pill to swallow, but what's the harm in seeing what kind of offers might be out there?

Again, if the goal is to extend Juan Soto long-term, this avenue wouldn't be the worst way to shed some payroll in order to accommodate such plans.