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The San Diego Padres are a massive disappointment so far in the 2023 MLB season. With lofty expectations after making the NLCS and defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs, the Padres have hit a lot of bumps in the road, somehow.
As a result, general manager A.J. Preller simply won't stand by and let this team continue to perform at this level without at least attempting to make a trade. But the question is, which players will be made available? Last year, the Padres acquired All-Star closer Joe Hader and superstar outfielder Juan Soto in a pair of blockbuster moves, so he is no stranger to massive deals.
So, with the trade deadline approaching, here are three Padres players that must be on the trade block.
Austin Nola, Catcher
The Padres have dangled Nola on the trade clouds for some time. However, he has remained their starting catcher, especially with that position being one of the weaknesses in San Diego. So far in 2023, Nola is hitting just .142 in 45 games with one home run and seven RBI, so it might be time to finally call it quits. The biggest problem here is that the Padres gave up a gigantic package in a deal with the Seattle Mariners to land him.
The Padres traded away Taylor Trammell, one of the more exciting prospects, as part of a seven-player deal that brought Nola and a pair of delivers to San Diego. But Nola has not lived up to the hype. On the flip side, Gary Sanchez, who was released from the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets, has found his groove since joining the team. In 15 games in San Diego, he has a .235 average with six home runs and 15 RBI. The Padres also have Luis Campusano, who has a ton of promise, so moving Nola makes sense.
Ryan Weathers, Starting Pitcher
One other option is Ryan Weathers. The young left-hander is one of the most confusing players on the team. At times, he is electric and looks like a bonafide stud for years to come. However, this season he has gone just 1-5 with a 6.08 ERA in 11 games, so there has been much to be desired for Weathers. On top of that, the Padres pitching staff is pretty stacked from top to bottom, and Nick Martinez can always be moved to a regular starter.
Weathers' most recent start was horrendous. He went just 1.2 innings with six runs and seven hits against the Cleveland Guardians. His 2023 season is not promising, but the young southpaw has potential, and teams might be interested in acquiring him for some rental players, which is certainly what Preller and the Padres would be looking for in hopes of making a late-season surge.
Ha-Seong Kim, 2B
This is my least favorite option of them all because of how good Ha-Seong Kim can be. Since coming over from Korea, he has become a fan favorite and just needs more playing time. This season, he has rotated in with veteran Rougned Odor. Kim is hitting .239 with five home runs and 20 RBI along with 11 stolen bases. He can play second, shortstop, and third base, and do a lot of things well on the field.
Of all three players listed, Kim will likely net the best package in a potential trade, and he signed a four-year deal for $28 million a couple of years ago, so it's fairly cheap for a productive player.
The hope is that Kim sticks around and gets a chance at the everyday job next season, but it wouldn't be surprising for Preller to see what he can get from the Korean sensation.
