The Padres were supposed to be one of the toughest customers this season, and now it’s conceivable that they will be sellers at the trade deadline.
Selling would be a nuclear option, but at this point A.J. Preller’s finger must be hovering over the button. The Padres have underperformed across the board, and now sit 10 games out of first in the division and eight back of the final wild card after dropping three of four to the Phillies over the weekend.
The talent is there, such that the Padres, remote of a possibility as it might be, could still play well enough to maybe squeak into the postseason. But they’ve yet to show this season they have that potential, and they certainly need to define their direction for the season before the trade deadline in two weeks.
If San Diego decides to sell, it could get a decent haul in return for some of their tradable assets. Juan Soto would be the biggest prize, but Blake Snell and Josh Hader both are pending free agents who could net an impressive package.
Heyman recently reported the Phillies are the "frontrunners" to land the 24-year-old Soto in free-agency in 2025, but 94WIP's Joe Giglio proposed the Phils offer Trea Turner for Soto right now.
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“They’re well out of it at this point. They’re way back,” Audacy MLB insider Jon Heyman said Monday on The Mully & Haugh Show. “They really do not want to sell, they sold out – in terms of their seats – for the year, basically. The fans are excited and they’re doing everything they can to stay in it. Right now, they’ve been talking to teams about getting bullpen help and maybe a bat, but, ultimately, let’s say they go 3-7 or something like that over the next 10, they may have to face reality.
“I still think it’s more likely that they trade the free agents to be, which are good. Snell, obviously, has been great, should’ve been an All-Star. Hader, who is always an All-Star, is probably the best closer in the game. I still don’t think they would trade Soto, but it’s got to be on the table. If they slump and go 3-7, I think it’s on the table.”
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