Padres Insider Reveals Likelihood of Ethan Salas Trade at Deadline

As we get closer to the trade deadline, the San Diego Padres are going to have to decide whether to push the chips in on the 2026 season or to simply allow the cards to fall as they may.

After a strong start to the year, the Padres have fallen in the standings, which could play into the trade deadline plans. But with the new ownership group nearly in place, we could still see San Diego look to spend at the deadline, giving this team a chance to win this year's World Series.

One of the main questions around the team is how much the front office would be willing to spend in terms of prospect capital. The Padres have been linked to massive trades involving Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers or even closer Aroldis Chapman of the Boston Red Sox.

But for some of these deals, the team may have to include top prospect Ethan Salas.

With A.J. Preller running the Padres front office, nothing is out of the question. Insider Dennis Lin of The Athletic revealed how likely it could be for Salas to be moved at the trade deadline this year.

"At each of the past two deadlines, Preller acquired significant help while operating with a strict budget and a seemingly depleted farm system. The executive might consider catcher Ethan Salas relatively untouchable — with Preller, no one is ever off the table — but he could dangle any number of lower-level prospects. And some teams have been led to believe that, this year, the Padres are willing to take on payroll," Lin wrote.

Should the Padres Trade Ethan Salas?

Salas is in the midst of a breakout season for the Padres, with him shooting up the prospect boards all year. The catcher has been in Double-A this season, and the organization has been very encouraged by his improvement.

After dealing with a back injury last year that saw him struggle at the plate, there was doubt around him entering the season. But Salas has put the work in and now seems to be showcasing real MLB talent in the minor leagues.

So far, Salas is hitting .291 with seven home runs and 31 runs batted in, while posting an OPS of .808 on the year. His improvement at the plate has been great to see, and it would be fairly tough for the Padres to part ways with him.

San Diego doesn't have a long-term plan at the catcher spot and Salas is only 20 years old. If he were to continue to improve, we could see him called up to the major leagues potentially as soon as next season.

Preller has been known for his aggressive trades, but in this situation, losing Salas could be tough. Even if the team could acquire someone like Skubal, they may be better off holding onto the young catcher to help build toward the future.

The Padres have already decimated the farm system over the years with multiple big trades, so it may not make sense to move Salas, at least right now.

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