First pitch: 3 best Alek Manoah trade destinations and the risk that comes with him
By Kevin Henry
San Diego Padres could trade for Alek Manoah
Much like the Cardinals, the San Diego Padres will need to rebuild their rotation this offseason.
Blake Snell will likely win the Cy Young Award for what he did for San Diego in 2023, but the Padres won't be paying him to stick around for next season. That's just one defection from a rotation that is centering right now around Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove. There has to be more to it than that for the Padres to get back into contention for a postseason spot, let alone the top of the NL West.
San Diego spent a lot of money last offseason to acquire talent, and there is a big decision surrounding Juan Soto and his future with the Padres for A.J. Preller to contend with as well.
Additionally, reports are also saying that the Padres will slice their payroll heading into this season, coming in at around $200 million. Manoah being under team control through 2028 and making less than $750,000 in 2023 are benefits for a San Diego franchise that not only wants to win but is also figuring out how to do it with a different outlook (and manager) heading into next season.
Manoah could slot into the back of the rotation and have no pressure of being called the team's "ace" or "savior" or any of the other tags that could heighten expectations. In theory, it seems to be a good scenario for both sides.