Padres' .849 OPS top prospect may be 'too valuable' to trade away originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The San Diego Padres have not received star-level production from their top players on offense.
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Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Jackson Merrill have all struggled to find consistency at the plate. The trio has combined to hit 16 home runs, just six more than first baseman Gavin Sheets has hit by himself.
Per usual, Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller could be aggressive in finding upgrades at the trade deadline. He's shown that he's not afraid to depart with several prospects at once.
But will Preller consider trading San Diego's top prospect to land a bat or two? The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal isn't so sure.
"Catcher Ethan Salas, who just turned 20 on Monday, has regained his status as one of the game’s top young talents, batting .309 with an .857 OPS at Double-A," Rosenthal wrote Thursday. "But Preller, as he did with Merrill, might consider him too valuable to trade."
Salas has a .849 OPS with seven homers in 46 games at Double-A this season, and it may not be long before the Padres consider promoting him to the Majors.
"Freddy Fermin, one of Preller’s acquisitions at last year’s deadline, entered Wednesday batting .130 with a .403 OPS," Rosenthal added. "And Salas, by the end of this season, might be ready to pair with Luis Campusano, who got off to a good start and should return before long from a fractured left big toe."
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A 2026 promotion for Salas may be far-fetched. He just turned 20 and will need at least a month or two at Triple-A before the Padres know for sure he's ready to face big league arms and manage a pitching staff.
For now, it appears Preller will do his best to keep the catcher's name out of trade discussions, but that could easily change.
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