Padres' President of Baseball Operations AJ Preller recently got brutally honest on Juan Soto and Josh Hader's future in San Diego, per MLB.com.

“Probably the biggest thing, at least with Hader and with Juan Soto, is this carries forward,” Preller said. “Ultimately, it wasn't just a rental piece. They're guys that, you know, in Juan's case should be here for many years to come.”

The Padres gave up an arm and a leg to acquire Juan Soto, along with Josh Bell, from the Washington Nationals. Meanwhile, they also acquired Josh Hader from the Milwaukee Brewers ahead of the 2022 MLB trade deadline. Preller would love to build a foundation including those players with Soto at the forefront.

The current face of the Padres is Manny Machado. Signing Juan Soto to a long term extension would allow Soto and Machado to develop chemistry with one another in the middle of San Diego's lineup.

With that being said, there is the Fernando Tatis Jr aspect of it all. Tatis Jr is currently facing an 80-game suspension for PED use. He's another young star who is signed to a long term deal in San Diego.

The Padres have a bright future after reaching the NLCS this season. It would not be surprising to see extension talks begin sooner rather than later with Juan Soto. The 24-year old labored in his first season with the Padres, but he's one of the best players in the game when he's going right. Additionally, his ceiling alone is worth an extension.