MLB Analysts Believe Padres Could Trade Fernando Tatis Jr to New York in Blockbuster Move

The San Diego Padres have reached the playoffs in four of the last six seasons, showing some nice consistency on the field. A lot of this has to do with the play of star Fernando Tatis Jr., giving San Diego one of the more electric players in all of baseball.

But even with his success, the team has yet to win a World Series, and there have been multiple disappointing finishes. Tatis has seen some trade rumors go around his name of late, and due to his large salary, the team could theoretically consider moving him.

The veteran has also struggled heavily to open the 2026 season. Tatis still hasn't hit a home run this season, which is the longest drought for anyone with his number of at-bats in baseball.

Multiple MLB analysts on MLB Network discussed the idea of the Padres possibly trading Tatis to the New York Mets in what would be a blockbuster deal.

"What if Fernando Tatis Jr. went to the New York Mets?," Greg Amsinger said. "Francisco Lindor, who I know is on the IL, went to the San Diego Padres. You could move [Xander] Bogaerts to second base."

Does Fernando Tatis Jr. need a change of scenery?

Greg's latest trade proposal has the slugger headed to New York in exchange for another superstar 👀 pic.twitter.com/qvxbiaKwg7
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 3, 2026

The idea of the Padres potentially trading Tatis isn't anything new, but due to his struggles this season, it does make some sense. San Diego has been cutting salaries over the last couple of seasons, and with a new ownership group coming in, this could be the move.

Tatis, even with his issues this year, would be the biggest trade chip that the Padres have to offer, and the team could net some strong assets in return. Whether that would be Lindor from the Mets, or even multiple prospects from a strong New York farm system.

Would Trading Fernando Tatis Make Sense For Padres?

On the surface, trading Tatis would be tough to swallow, especially with the organization having to sell this to the fanbase. But when you look deeper, it could actually help the Padres down the line.

Tatis still has eight more years left on his current contract with the Padres, and his pay is only going up following the 2026 season. The veteran is scheduled to earn $25.7 million in 2027 and 2028, before his number jumps to $36.7 million each season from 2029 to 2034.

The veteran is 27 years old right now, and while his issues hitting this season may be an outlier, he isn't getting any younger. San Diego had Tatis on a very team-friendly deal over the last few seasons, and now the backloaded pay is coming up.

If the team could move off his contract before it's too late, it would free up space along the roster for the organization to make some other moves. Combining his salary with that of Bogaerts and Manny Machado, the Padres are somewhat stuck with this core for the next handful of seasons.

In addition, Tatis has started to see a decline at the plate, resulting in the struggles to open this season. The batting average of Tatis has dipped in each of the past three years, and other than his incredible 2021 season, he hasn't hit more than 25 home runs.

Tatis is easily the biggest trade candidate among the stars on the roster, and opposing teams may take a chance on him due to his age. San Diego may want to consider a move this season, and if they do, it could help set them up for years to come.

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