Exploring Trade Partners For Devin Williams: San Diego Padres

Why They Need Him
The Padres are fighting ferociously to escape the Dodgers' shadow, and that fight isn't getting any easier. After narrowly missing the playoffs in 2023, outstanding years from new faces helped carry them to 93 wins and a Wild Card berth in 2024. They were arguably the team to come the closest to dethroning Los Angeles in the postseason, taking the Division Series to a full five games although the lineup was completely shut down for the final 21 innings of the matchup. Nonetheless, San Diego was just one win away from overcoming the eventual World Series champions and their most heated rivals.

Although they lacked the star power that the Dodgers had, their roster was incredibly well-rounded, not particularly lacking in any one area. The team’s OPS of .745 was sixth in MLB and they managed to lead all teams in batting average, at .263. Pitching-wise, they had a combined ERA of 3.86, 12th in MLB. Michael King and Dylan Cease led the rotation, while the bullpen was held down by Jeremiah Estrada, Adrián Morejón, and their primary closer Robert Suarez. To further bolster an already capable group of relievers, they even acquired Tanner Scott from the Marlins and Jason Adam from the Rays at the trade deadline to serve as their setup men.

Looking ahead to 2025, San Diego’s front office has some important conversations to have. Star infielder Ha-Seong Kim is a free agent, and will probably seek greener pastures. On the bright side, Jurickson Profar is a good candidate to return, on the heels of an All-Star season in which he was also beloved in the clubhouse. Furthermore, the loss of Kim may not be the end of the world. After his shoulder surgery in late August sidelined him for the remainder of the regular season and entirety of the postseason, the team did fine with Xander Bogaerts at shortstop, Jake Cronenworth at second base, and Luis Arráez at first. 

If they choose to abstain from pursuing a replacement for Kim through trade or free agency, a natural step would be to recreate last year’s success by bringing aboard another standout closer, in Devin Williams. In this case, Suarez would likely shift his responsibility to pitching the eighth inning, but they can also share if they’d prefer the harmonious route. With an already great lineup; a rotation with the aforementioned King and Cease joined by veteran Yu Darvish; and a bullpen with the Airbender, the Padres might just have enough to put the other 29 teams on notice—even the defending champions.

What They Have to Offer
Because of their aggressive trade decisions over the past few years, the Padres have bade adieu to many of their most prized younglings. Of the teams we’ve discussed as potential trade partners so far, the Padres might have the weakest farm system. In fact, unless the Angels plan on competing or the Astros plan on reuniting Josh Hader with his old partner in crime, San Diego has the weakest inventory of any team potentially interested in Williams.

But within every bag of trail mix are a few M&Ms, and the Padres’ farm system is no different. Ethan Salas and Leodalis De Vries are both 18-year-olds in MLB’s Top 100 prospect rankings, but they’re probably staying where they are. In fact, five of the team’s top 10 prospects were in rookie ball, which may be a little too far out for the Brewers’ liking. 

Bradgley Rodriguez has both a unique first name and a chance to be great, pitching to a 2.64 ERA over 61 ⅓ innings across three levels of the minors from Single-A through Double-A. With a 70-grade fastball (the same grade as Jacob Misiorowski) that sits in the upper 90s and a plus changeup, scouts credited this one-two punch for his quick ascent through the minors. 

If they want to pursue a starter instead, Braden Nett posted a 3.88 ERA over 19 starts, spending the vast majority of his time with High-A Fort Wayne. He’s noted as having decent carry on his fastball with a high-spin slider and a developing changeup that has yet to separate effectively from his heater. He’s a work in progress with considerable upside, a player profile that Milwaukee loves to take on. 

Realistic position player options are limited, but first base prospect Romeo Sanabria also shot up through three levels of the minors in 2024, slashing .288/.396/.427 with 30 doubles and 11 home runs over 546 plate appearances. He doesn’t seem to have the pop of a typical first baseman, is limited by his fielding ability and lack of speed, and saw his numbers decline quickly by the time he hit Double-A, but with great on-base skills, there’s a potential for him to be an effective bat somewhere down the line. 

Because of the relatively low value of the Padres’ prospects, it would make sense for several of them to be bundled together. However, with the team’s core aging quickly and their window of contention closing quicker, the time to compete is now for the Friars—and who better to push them over the top than Devin Williams?