Padres’ failed trade may have just handed the Astros a sneaky opportunity

The Houston Astros are in a bind as they look to close out their offseason. There are certainly areas that could be addressed, but the signing of Tatsuya Imai has brought the Astros within $10 million of the first level of the CBT. Jim Crane all but confirmed that the Astros won't be paying the luxury tax in 2026, and that has led to speculation that Isaac Paredes will be traded before Opening Day.

Paredes is under control for two more seasons, and his arbitration filing may have hinted at his less-than-bright future in Houston. Paredes is expected to make around $9 million, so trading him would give the Astros some wiggle room.

The conundrum is that Paredes has a swing that is perfect for Daikin Park, and he, in theory, should be a piece that is a part of the next contending core. It's why if the Astros had their wish, they would prefer to trade Christian Walker.

Walker is a descending talent, but still had enough power with the Astros last season to represent an offensive upgrade for teams in search of a first baseman. One of those teams could be the San Diego Padres.

The Padres are in the market for a first baseman and were considering a trade for Nolan Arenado before the St. Louis Cardinals dealt him to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Conventional wisdom would suggest that the Padres would have an interest in Walker, but The Athletic's (subscription) Ken Rosenthal had some details that would suggest otherwise.

Padres could be a fit for Christian Walker but it may not be ideal for the Astros.

Rosenthal notes that the Padres had little interest in taking on much of the $42 million owed to Arenado over the next season, and certainly not as much as the $9 million the Diamondbacks absorbed.

That would stop any potential Walker trade before talks even get started. The 34-year-old first baseman is set to earn $20 million in each of the next two seasons, and if a team isn't willing to take on much of that, Houston will be stuck with him.

It certainly wouldn't be ideal, but if the Astros simply wanted rid themselves of Walker, it seems like the Padres would be among the first teams in line. Such a scenario wouldn't give them much payroll relief, but it would resolve the issue of their infield logjam while offering Paredes a path to remain with the team.