\As the MLB trade deadline approaches, the San Diego Padres look like a team that should sell. That has never been the M.O. of general manager A.J. Preller but with a 48-51 record, it seems like the best path forward for this season.

USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale is convinced that the Padres should trade Juan Soto. Although the longtime baseball reporter sounds against the idea of the Los Angeles Angels trading Shohei Ohtani before he leaves in free agency, he believes that trading Soto makes sense for San Diego, though there are no massive indications that the team wants to do that.

As he opined for the Padres to get back some value for Soto before he potentially leaves in free agency, Nightengale mentioned two key Padres players that the team could shop ahead of the August 1 trade deadline: pitchers Blake Snell and Josh Hader.

“They should swallow their pride and trade All-Star outfielder Juan Soto, getting back at least some of the value in the prospects they traded away in the first place to land him from the Washington Nationals,” writes Nightengale. “Yet, there has been no hint that he’s available. They instead are likely to shop All-Star closer Josh Hader and starter Blake Snell, barring a sudden and dramatic winning streak.”

Both star pitchers, each of whom has an expiring contract. have been mentioned as possible trade candidates leading up to the deadline. With the Padres still on the wrong path, it makes even more sense.

Snell has an MLB-leading 2.67 ERA, though his walk rate has been exponentially high this season. He ranks sixth in MLB in total strikeouts, ties for fifth in bWAR and ranks fifth in hits per nine innings. Hader ranks seventh in total saves this season and has bounced back from a rough season with a 0.97 ERA across 37.0 innings. The Padres could get solid returns for each of them.

While the Padres have numerous stars locked into long-term deals, they have to figure out how to get on the winning path. Soto's contract is expiring soon. If he isn’t on the trade block now, he may be soon if the team doesn’t improve.