MLB Analyst Thinks Padres Are Trying to Trade Fernando Tatis Jr

After a slow start to the season, the San Diego Padres have started to round into form, having won six straight games and nine of their last 10 overall. San Diego has seemingly found a recipe for success, even with all the questions surrounding the starting rotation.

The overall talent on the Padres roster was never in question, but rather how this team could come together under first-year manager Craig Stammen, as well as the pitching issues. But at least so far, there are strong vibes around the Padres organization right now.

However, despite the Padres starting to fully click this season, one MLB analyst believes that a major trade could be coming down the line for this team.

Harold Reynolds of MLB Network discussed the Padres' payroll situation while saying that he believes the Padres could be forced to trade star Fernando Tatis Jr. at some point.

He thinks Tatis playing second base over the weekend was a "showcase" of his versatility to the other 29 teams.

"I think this is a showcase," Reynolds said. "The Padres payroll — I know they're up there battling the Dodgers every year, we say it over and over and over — I'm sorry, they gotta do something. They can't carry this payroll. The Dodgers can, [the Padres] can't carry this. Somebody's gotta go.

"So, who of those guys do I want? I want Fernando Tatis."

"We're being reminded of how great this guy is."

- Harold Reynolds on Fernando Tatis Jr. shifting to second base for the Padres pic.twitter.com/rgu05pO766
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 14, 2026

San Diego once again has a top payroll in baseball, with the number coming in at $255.9 million for the season, per Spotrac. And as Reynolds mentioned, the Padres have multiple players signed to long-term deals for a large amount of money, including Tatis, Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Jackson Merrill.

While the Padres would prefer to keep Tatis for the long-term, moving him would free up a ton of money, while also netting the team a massive haul in return. Between the players on large contracts, Tatis is easily the player with the most value.

Both Bogaerts and Machado are over the age of 30, and it's difficult to imagine any team would want to trade for either. Merrill showed real promise in his rookie season, but is yet to capture that same form since.

This would leave Tatis as the face of a major trade for the Padres to shake things up, at least payroll-wise. It has been a slow start to the 2026 season for Tatis as well, seeing the slugger hit .242 with no home runs, seven runs batted in and four stolen bases so far. His .619 OPS would be by far the lowest of his career.

San Diego will need to make some tough decisions in the near future regarding payroll, and it's theoretically possible a move like this could be made. Moving Tatis could give the Padres a ton of young, cheap talent to build around, helping the franchise start over.

With the upcoming sale of the team coming up, we could see the new owner decide to free up salary. On the flip side, a new owner may want to go all in — and Tatis plays a crucial as the face of the franchise.

For now, the Padres star doesn't need to worry about any of that, and instead keep focusing on helping the organization win games. Through the first three weeks of the season, San Diego has the look of a potential sleeper team in the National League.

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