3 Padres Most Likely to Be Traded After the All-Star Break

The San Diego Padres front office has a ton of questions to answer as the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaches.

President of baseball operations A.J. Preller will need to decide whether to push the chips in and buy, or for the Padres to be sellers at the deadline. San Diego currently holds a record of 48-48 on the season, sitting 3.5 games back of the final wild-card spot in the National League.

There is also a chance that the Padres take a dual approach to the trade deadline, acting as both a buyer and seller. But no matter the route taken, Preller will do whatever he thinks is best for the future of the franchise.

Given the needs of this team, the Padres may look to make multiple moves. Here are three players that the Padres could look to trade following the All-Star break, depending on the path the team chooses to go.

Adrian Morejon, Reliever, MLB

The Padres have built the roster on the back of a strong bullpen, with left-hander Adrian Morejon helping lead the charge.

But Morejon does have an expiring contract this season, and moving him could allow the Padres to gain some assets before the offseason. The left-hander has been excellent for San Diego again this year, putting up an ERA of 3.42 over 50 innings.

Losing Morejon would be tough, but the roster has enough arms to navigate his absence. Just about every team needs bullpen help, giving the Padres the chance to add some talent elsewhere.

Morejon has been talked about as a possible trade candidate this year. The left-hander owns a career ERA of 3.43 over his eight-plus seasons with the Padres.

He made his first All-Star Game last year.

Ethan Salas, Catcher, Double-A

The main prospect that opposing teams will have interest in is catcher Ethan Salas, the No. 1 ranked prospect in the Padres farm system.

Salas has bounced back from a poor 2025 season in a major way, giving San Diego hope for the future. On the year, the catcher has hit .284 with seven home runs and 36 runs batted in, while posting an OPS of .775.

Injuries halted Salas' 2025 season, so it's a good sign to see him start looking like the top prospect he's been viewed as. Trading Salas would be tough for the Padres considering the already weakened farm system, but if the team were to see an opportunity to add a star, Preller likely wouldn't hesitate.

The Padres have been connected with ace Tarik Skubal in the past, and this is the type of player that Salas could be moved for. Moving on from Salas could be a poor decision, but for the chance to win a World Series, San Diego could seize the opportunity.

Michael King, Starting Pitcher, MLB

Michael King has been the most consistent starting pitcher for the Padres this season, but the front office may want to see his value on the market. King re-signed with the Padres over the offseason, but he has an opt-out in his contract heading into the winter.

If the Padres believe that King will leave in free agency, moving him now for assets would make sense. Preller could elect to keep King to help bolster a potential playoff run, but given where the team is, trading him may offer better future results.

King has registered an ERA of 3.41 over 108.1 innings, setting himself up as the ace of the staff. The right-hander could net the Padres some strong assets, with multiple teams needing starting pitching help heading into the stretch run of the season.

Moving on from King would be considered a nuclear option for the Padres, but with Preller's track record, nothing is off the table at the deadline.

Add us as a preferred source on Google