Padres offseason may not be a quiet one with new reported trade talks with Twins

The San Diego Padres' offseason has been largely quiet, with A.J. Preller taking his foot off the gas pedal and carefully considering his options. Unfortunately for the Friars faithful, there is a not-so-secret mandate to cut payroll, which has kept San Diego out of the running for major upgrades.

That said, the activity could pick up soon, as the Padres probably won't go quietly into the night. There's only one way to cut salary — trades — and San Diego still has a few notable weak points on the roster. Among them is the catcher position.

According to Dan Haynes and Dennis Lin of The Athletic, the Padres have engaged in dialogue around a potential trade for Minnesota Twins catcher Christian Vazquez. The 34-year-old, with $10 million left on his contract, slashed .221/.248/.327 with seven home runs and 27 RBI last season, posting a -0.2 WAR.

While not the sexiest name on the trade block, Vazquez is still "[viewed] as an upgrade over Luis Campusano," per the report. One potential hurdle is the salary, as there appears to be disagreement over how much of his $10 million salary the Padres absorb in a potential trade.

With the Padres looking to cut costs, it's notable to see Preller engaged in a potential addition. That could increase the urgency for a salary-shedding move down the line, with Dylan Cease obviously front of mind.

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Padres and Twins discuss potentially consequential Christian Vazquez trade

San Diego has agreed to a minor-league contract with Martin Maldonado, but the 38-year-old's offensive decline has been rather steep in recent years. Vazquez, even with his meager statistical output, is a better defender than Campusano and a better hitter than Maldonado. He would be in line for start plenty of games behind home plate.

The Twins are attempting to stockpile assets for a future trade, with Dylan Cease on their list of targets, per The Athletic. Minnesota is another fringe contender enjoying a quiet offseason, but that could ramp up and change in a flash. Trading Vazquez, and perhaps shedding part of his salary, is one thing. Getting San Diego to part with Cease after whiffing on Roki Sasaki is a far greater challenge.

That said, if the Padres add salary with Vazquez, that will only increase the pressure Preller faces to get San Diego's tax bill under control. Cease is due to make $13.8 million in the final year of his contract. The Cy Young candidate is utterly essential to this Padres rotation, especially with Sasaki going to a division rival, but there is a sobering truth here. San Diego probably can't afford to keep Cease as a free agent, so it's only logical to cash in now.

This new rumor feels like the beginning of a more active stretch for the Padres' front office. Cease's name is not coming off the trade block any time soon, while others, such as Luis Arraez and Michael King, are sure to join him.

The Twins, meanwhile, are operating under severe financial restrictions until ownership sells the team, which isn't expected until around Opening Day. Shedding Vazquez's salary could help them absorb Cease (or another significant upgrade) down the line.