There’s never a real guarantee that the San Diego Padres won’t move one of their top prospects. As A.J. Preller has shown for years, nothing is ever truly off the table.
If he believes there’s a trade that gives his team a better chance to win now, especially if it helps lower payroll, he’ll consider it.
According to Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, that mindset is exactly why catcher Ethan Salas could be traded.
“Since his strong debut, he has struggled at the plate, and he missed almost all of the 2025 season with a stress reaction in his back. He still has plus power potential and elite defensive upside, and he does not turn 20 years old until June, but his stock is sliding.
“Why He Could Be Traded: A.J. Preller has never hesitated to trade his prospects, and flipping Salas this winter might be the best way to maximize his rapidly slipping value. That could be a decision that comes back to haunt the Padres if everything clicks, but it feels like that’s the crossroads we’ve arrived at, despite the fact that he is still a teenager,” he wrote.
As harsh as it sounds for a teenager, Salas is in a strange spot developmentally. The last few years have not been ideal, and the direction from here remains uncertain.
When he first made his professional debut, many seemed to think he was going to be a real star.
