The San Diego Padres have waited nearly two decades for another NL West crown—and this year, the hunger is stronger than ever. With the Los Angeles Dodgers riding back-to-back World Series titles, the Padres know they need a spark to finally dethrone the kings of the division. A bold trade proposal involving the San Francisco Giants could be just the move to make it happen.

The Padres' biggest weakness? Designated hitter. Through today's games, San Diego's DHs have managed only three home runs and a .678 OPS—numbers that simply won't cut it in a division arms race. Enter Rafael Devers, the three-time All-Star currently struggling with the Giants. Devers has posted a .677 OPS in his first 42 games this season, but his track record tells a different story: a career .849 OPS and the ability to slug 30-40 home runs per year.

Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer floated the idea of San Diego acquiring Devers, noting that moving him out of Oracle Park—where he has a .775 OPS—to Petco Park could unlock his potential. "Petco Park is a hitting haven by comparison," Rymer wrote. "It also couldn't hurt to get him out of the NL West rival's park."

The trade isn't simple. San Francisco would need to eat most of Devers' contract, and the Padres would likely part with Jake Cronenworth—whose $11.5 million annual salary is a relative bargain. Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove are essentially dead money for San Diego, but each has trade veto power, making Cronenworth the most logical piece in a bad-contract swap.

It's not a perfect deal, but for a team desperate to end a 20-year division drought, it's a gamble worth taking. The NL West crown is within reach—if the Padres make the right move at the right time.