The MLB trade deadline is less than a month away, which means teams across the big leagues can start asking themselves if they want to be buyers or traders by the time the calendar flips to August. In any case, the San Diego Padres will be among the top teams to watch out for in the coming weeks.

The Padres, who are in the middle of a frustrating 2023 MLB regular season thus far, could end up being a seller, especially if they can't right the ship soon. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Blake Snell and Josh Hader could be among the chief trade pieces of the Padres.

“The Padres, as disappointing as the Mets, may have to consider pivoting to sell. If so, free agents to be Blake Snell and Josh Hader would be huge targets,” Heyman wrote.

Heyman even brought up Juan Soto as another potential trade bait.

“It would be interesting to see if superstar Juan Soto could be considered for trade again. The Padres’ chances to re-sign him don’t seem especially promising.”

Snell was a splashy addition by the Padres via a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays back in 2020. He inked a five-year deal worth $50 million with the Rays in 2019 — a year after he won the American League Cy Young Award. Hader, on the other hand, avoided the last year of arbitration with the Padres by signing a one-year contract worth $14.1 million with the team last January.

While Snell is still a dependable asset, he has not pitched close to the level of success he had the year he won the Cy Young Award. Since then, he has garnered a 3.47 ERA and a 29-33 record across 101 starts for the Rays and the Padres. Hader is a four-time All-Star who can provide needed help in the bullpen for teams looking to fortify their relievers group. He has a 1.21 ERA and 18 saves in his first 29.2 innings this year with the Padres.

After their 12-5 win on Saturday to the Cincinnati Reds, the Padres improved their record to 38-45 but are guaranteed to finish the first half of the season with a record not better than .500.