Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
With Christmas right around the corner, let’s cook up a trade for the Padres to pull off that would make all Padres fans’ holiday dreams come true.
This is the time of year for magic. For wishes. For dreaming on the seemingly impossible.
So this holiday season, Padres fans aren’t writing to the North Pole for socks or sweaters. This is my letter to “Padres Santa,” asking for a little Christmas magic, a blockbuster trade, and the kind of gift that could change the franchise’s future. After all, if there’s ever a time when the impossible feels possible, it’s when sleigh bells are ringing, and dreams are wrapped in brown and gold.
Snow rarely arrives in San Diego, but hope always does, especially around Christmas. As twinkling lights flicker along the Gaslamp and the Padres’ wish list sits by the fireplace, there’s one name written in bold red ink: Francisco Lindor.
Yes, the switch-hitting shortstop with the thousand-watt smile was discussed during the recent meetings as a possible trade candidate from the New York Mets.
Francisco Lindor to the Padres?! The Wild Trade Rumor Shaking MLB https://t.co/2w8UOXuXWJ
— Jim Russell (@JimRussellSD) December 12, 2025
That would certainly change the complexion of the Padres’ lineup.
According to reports, there was some tension in the Mets clubhouse last season. Nothing has been officially confirmed, but a rumor exists that the Mets wish to reset the clubhouse culture by dealing a few larger pieces.
It should be noted, part of the tension seemed to involve second baseman Jeff McNeil. The Mets just swung a trade with the Athletics for McNeil to head west. Some wonder if that was the needed move to settle things down.
However, this is the holidays we’re talking about. Anything is possible. Let’s say a deal for Lindor is still on the table.
In fact, let’s dip even more into the “wish-casting” well. Let’s get a deal going that would not only merit the Padres the five-time All-Star shortstop but also help the Padres get out from under the massively heavy deal of Xander Bogaerts, which weighs down this franchise greatly.
Let’s be honest, the Bogaerts deal has been a disaster. First off, he has struggled to stay healthy, missing 77 games over the last two seasons. His OPS is down 80 points from his Boston days. He averaged 4.6 WAR in his final five seasons in Boston while averaging 2.5 in San Diego.
Imagine swapping Bogaerts, who has accrued just 3.2 WAR with a meager 96 OPS+ over the last two seasons, for Lindor, who sits at 12.8 WAR and a 133 OPS+ in that same time frame, at shortstop.
Payroll-wise, Bogaerts is owed roughly $200 million over the next eight seasons, averaging $25.5 million per season through the year 2033.
Lindor, meanwhile, with elite production compared to Bogaerts, is owed $195 million over the next six years, averaging $32.5 million per year.
Obviously, the Mets would not agree to a straight swap. But if the Padres were able to get Lindor and swap out Bogaerts in some way, that’s two years less of payments for a much better shortstop.
While sugar plums and candy canes dance in your head, think also of Lindor in brown and gold, batting somewhere between Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill. That would be as fierce of a foursome as you will find anywhere in baseball.
Clearly, the Padres would need to sweeten the deal in a massive way and perhaps even agree to still pay for part of Bogaerts’ salary.
Let’s make one thing clear- if the Padres are going to successfully shed Bogaerts’ name from the payroll, it will likely cost them Ethan Salas, their best position player prospect and former 10 prospect in all of baseball.
Frankly, Salas plus Bogaerts for Lindor likely doesn’t even get it done.
Given that the Mets are not interested in a total reset and rebuild, they will likely want a piece or two they can use to compete immediately, aside from Bogaerts.
With the signing of Michael King, the Padres could dangle Nick Pivetta. The tall right-hander is on a back-loaded deal the Padres may want to shed before it gets to its peak. He has a player opt-out after 2026, which may complicate matters. Especially if he keeps pitching as he did in 2025 (2.87 ERA, 181 innings, 190 strikeouts), as he could command a raise on the open market.
For now, he is a desirable arm that any team would be glad to have.
Starting pitching failed the Mets down the stretch this past season. Adding Pivetta would be a big boost to their rotation.
If the Padres are going to part with both Salas and Pivetta, it better be with the Mets paying all of Bogaerts’ remaining salary.
In short, both teams would get something they want. The Padres and Mets swap out 30-something shortstops on massive deals, with Lindor coming to San Diego. The Mets add a big piece to their starting rotation, along with an intriguing catching prospect.
Plus, the Padres come out on the plus side in net payroll, shedding Bogaerts and Pivetta, which amounts to a higher figure in 2026 than Lindor’s deal.
Indeed, Padres Santa, this is my one wish this year. Hopefully, this is the deal that could get the Padres over the hump and back to the World Series for the first time in almost three decades.
Final Trade Proposal:
Padres get: SS Francisco Lindor
Mets get: SS Xander Bogaerts, SP Nick Pivetta, C Ethan Salas (SD #1)
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.
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