If both Luis Arráez and Ryan O’Hearn exit in free agency, the San Diego Padres will find themselves facing a significant void at first base. Given how urgently the organization needs to bolster its starting rotation, retaining either player could prove challenging, both financially and logistically. Their departures would leave the Padres scrambling to find a reliable option at a position that has already become increasingly difficult to fill.
The upcoming 2026 first-base free-agent class offers very few appealing solutions. Pete Alonso stands out as the premier name available, bringing middle-of-the-order power and a long track record of offensive production. However, pursuing a star of Alonso’s caliber would require a major investment, one that might not align with the Padres’ simultaneous need to reinforce their pitching staff.
Beyond Alonso, the rest of the market thins out quickly. Veterans like Rhys Hoskins and Wilmer Flores provide more cost-effective alternatives, but neither can replicate the same impact or consistency Alonso brings. While Hoskins offers on-base skills and occasional power and Flores delivers solid contact hitting with versatility, both represent more modest upgrades. With few strong options available, San Diego’s path to securing a dependable first baseman next offseason looks increasingly complicated.
Willson Contreras could be the surprise Padres lineup upgrade hiding in plain sight
The increasingly thin market for first basemen places additional pressure on Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller to search beyond free agency and consider the trade route as a primary means of filling the team’s vacancy.
Because the open market offers so few realistic solutions, the most practical way for San Diego to secure help is to engage with clubs that are prepared to offload significant pieces of their roster either during the offseason or as the trade deadline approaches. This blueprint—one that the Padres have already been encouraged to use while exploring upgrades to their starting rotation—could easily determine whether their entire winter is viewed as a success or a disappointment.
If Preller’s top priority remains pitching, then the Minnesota Twins should be among the first teams he contacts. But if the front office determines that it needs position-player upgrades—especially in the form of bats capable of filling multiple roles—then the St. Louis Cardinals become the natural partner to call.
St. Louis has finally committed to a long-anticipated teardown. The first sign came when the Cardinals sent right-hander Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox roughly a week ago. That move is widely seen as the opening chapter of a broader sell-off expected from the NL Central club.
With the organization embracing a reset, they will absolutely entertain strong proposals for several of their established veterans, including third baseman Nolan Arenado, catcher Willson Contreras, and versatile infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan.
If Preller wanted to be proactive and creative, targeting Contreras in particular would be a compelling way to address multiple roster deficiencies at once. Although Contreras is best known for his accomplishments behind the plate—where he was previously regarded as one of baseball’s strongest offensive catchers—he also brings the versatility to handle first base when needed. That type of flexibility is invaluable for a Padres team simultaneously seeking a reliable first baseman and a possible upgrade at catcher.
Many observers have focused solely on the team’s glaring need at first base, but it is equally important to remember how much San Diego struggled behind the plate before the trade deadline last season. The duo of Elías Díaz and Martín Maldonado combined to produce one of the worst catching performances in the league. Offensively, the pair hit a level that was roughly 32 percent below league average, making them the least productive catching tandem in baseball by a comfortable margin.
Preller attempted to stem the bleeding by trading for Freddy Fermin, whose arrival did stabilize the position somewhat. However, Fermin is not suited to serve as the everyday catcher for a contending team, and relying on him in that capacity would place unnecessary strain on the roster. Although acquiring Contreras would not instantly cure all of the Padres’ problems at catcher, his presence would dramatically improve the overall depth at the position. Moreover, his ability to log meaningful time at first base would help resolve the vacancy there as well.
Contreras’ 2025 performance demonstrated that he remains a productive hitter deep into his early 30s. He posted a .257 batting average, a .344 on-base percentage, and a .447 slugging mark, finishing with a 123 OPS+. Those numbers indicate that even at age 33, he continues to be a reliably above-average offensive player. For a Padres lineup seeking both stability and impact, that level of production would be a welcome addition—especially at two positions where the club has recently struggled.
Financially, San Diego would be responsible for the final two guaranteed years of Contreras’ contract, which total $36.5 million. The deal also includes a club option for 2028, giving the Padres added flexibility should his performance remain strong or should they need further roster certainty in the long term. While that salary commitment is not insignificant, it is also not prohibitive—particularly for a player with Contreras’ track record and positional versatility.
Bringing Contreras to Southern California would qualify as the type of under-the-radar acquisition that could reshape the Padres’ offseason in a meaningful way. Rather than pursuing separate solutions at first base and catcher, the front office could effectively address both needs in a single transaction. This multipronged benefit is precisely the kind of strategic advantage San Diego must pursue given the limited supply of first basemen and the organization’s broader roster construction challenges.
Ultimately, if Preller intends to be aggressive during this pivotal offseason, identifying creative trade opportunities like this one may be essential. A move for Willson Contreras would not only inject experience, offensive consistency, and positional versatility into the lineup, but also create a clearer path for the Padres to compete in a crowded National League landscape. By capitalizing on the Cardinals’ willingness to sell and acting before the rest of the league catches on, San Diego could position itself to solve two major problems with one decisive swing.
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