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With the trade deadline looming and playoff hopes hanging in the balance, the San Diego Padres could take a path few contenders consider — buying and selling at the same time.
MLB insider Alden Gonzalez reports that Padres general manager A.J. Preller may opt for a creative approach, leveraging short-term assets to address multiple needs while still pushing for a postseason berth. The strategy could include shopping high-profile players like Dylan Cease, Michael King, Luis Arraez, or Robert Suarez — all of whom are set to hit free agency by or after 2026 — to simultaneously clear salary and fill holes in the roster.
It’s a bold idea, but it fits Preller’s reputation. “I think the better position we’re in, the more aggressive he’s probably more willing to be,” Cease said. “But he’s probably going to be aggressive either way.”
Despite navigating payroll constraints after ducking under the luxury tax this year, San Diego’s projected competitive balance tax payroll still sits around $263 million. With a few contracts like Cease and Arraez off the books after this season, moving one or more of those names could open doors for impactful reinforcements.
Padres trade strategy will affect their playoff chances
Right now, the Padres hold the final NL Wild Card spot and sit just 3.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. The club has momentum, winning two of three in Washington after the break and putting together an 8-0 blowout in Sunday’s finale — sparked by a Xander Bogaerts grand slam.
Bogaerts, who’s seen his OPS bounce back after a rocky 2023, is emblematic of this team’s late push. “Just trying to swing at strikes,” he said. “Keep working and keeping the same routine.”
The team’s core — including Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Bogaerts — is locked in for years, so this isn’t a rebuild scenario. But San Diego has clear needs: a left fielder, a catcher, another back-end starter, and potentially another bullpen arm. Their top-heavy roster and thin farm system mean Preller may have to sacrifice from his major league talent pool.
Hunter Brown, Tarik Skubal, and Garrett Crochet have all taken hits from this Padres lineup. It’s proof they can hang with the league’s best, even as they sit just 20-32 against teams above .500.
Manager Mike Shildt sees the vision: “If we continue to add on, watch out. This team will be even more dangerous than it already is.”
With Michael King expected back in August and players like Jackson Merrill and Nick Pivetta stepping up, the Padres are in position to push forward. But how they maneuver the deadline — whether Preller buys, sells, or does both — could define their season and the next few beyond.
“There is great talent in this room,” veteran catcher Martin Maldonado said. “The pitching staff is amazing.” The pieces are there. Now it’s on Preller to play his hand.
