Padres' Fernando Tatis Jokes He Could Get Traded at Deadline

The superstar had a sense of humor regarding president of baseball operations AJ Preller.

Jul 9, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) walks back to the dugout after striking out during the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The San Diego Padres are enjoying the All-Star break with a 48-48 record ahead of one of the most pivotal trade deadlines to date.

For a team with so much star power and talent on the roster, a .500 record isn't exactly where fans thought that the Friars would be in mid-July. Over the course of the next 16 games, however, the fate of this team will be decided.

President of baseball operations AJ Preller is very close to the fictional MLB executive that young fans dream of becoming one day. He has a track record for not just having the creativity to devise colossal trades, but the talent to actually execute them and change the landscape of the league.

Superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. knows this as good as anyone, and said to The Athletic's Dennis Lin that the brilliance of Preller may not even leave him out of trade conversations.

“It’s A.J. Who knows?” Tatis said. “Anything can be in play. Probably even me."

“No, I’m kidding," he added. "But let’s see what happens.”

Though Tatis, a cornerstone of the franchise, doens't actually believe that his job is on the line, he also knows how crucial the remaining games until the deadline will be.

If the season ended today, the Padres would be 3.5 games out of the final wild-card spot in the National League. The next 16 games will dictate how much of the Padres' current talent in the farm system and on the roster will play into a run towards October.

If Preller sees a world where a deal he can pull off — in addition to the return of right-handers Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove during the second half — can move the needle enough to get to the postseason, there is no question he will pull the trigger.

Tatis emphasized the importance of having an existing team and a record worthy of pulling off the would-be blockbuster.

“Anything can happen,” Tatis said. “Obviously, we need to keep getting better and improving in different areas, but anything can happen.”

Preller knows what he is capable of, but if things appear to be too out of reach come August, perhaps some of those deals being pulled off will be with an eye towards the future.

“We’re going to go in open-minded about, you know, whether it’s acquiring players or kind of looking at if we have to go another direction,” Preller said. “I think all those things are on the table.”

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