Will Padres Trade Ethan Salas? AJ Preller Weighs In

Without a doubt, the San Diego Padres will be one of if not the most watched teams ahead the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline. Whether its because they're buying or selling remains the question.

The Padres are sliding down the standings for the last spot in the National League willd-card race, and are in desperate need of a winning streak to affirm any postseason hopes.

The fate of some of their top talent, including closer Mason Miller, could be hanging on their next few series.

Another trade piece that has been in question for the Padres is top prospect catcher Ethan Salas.

The 20-year-old is batting .282/.352/.419 for Double-A San Antonio and represents a bright spot for the Padres' future. Despite suffering an oblique injury in late June, Salas is healthy and has continued to show his impressive production at the plate.

Speculation over Salas' role at the trade deadline is growing, however, Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller cast doubt on any potential trades involving Salas on Friday.

"He's just been healthy this year and is doing the things that our baseball group feels like he can do," Preller said on 97.3 The Fan. "So, again, somebody like Ethan, we see him as being a big part of the Padres' future."

.@BenAndWoods asked AJ Preller if trading Ethan Salas is off the table at the trade deadline: pic.twitter.com/aGjuSVj6zg
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) July 24, 2026

Preller's words should inspire confidence in Padres fans, as the team invested $5.6 million to sign the international prospect, a franchise record for the international signing period. After struggling to stay healthy with a lingering back injury in 2025, Preller said that he's been happy to see a healthy Salas this season.

"Ethan's had a great year. I think we're super excited by what he's doing and we've always thought really highly of him," he said.

While Salas is likely to stay in the minors this season, Preller made it clear that the team's intentions are for Salas to make his MLB debut in San Diego.

"It's exciting to think about him playing at Petco. Really nothing's changed for us in the last year," Preller said. "For us, he was somebody that we've always thought highly of."

Of course, Salas could be shipped off to a new team in a matter of weeks as there is a fine line between words and actions in Major League Baseball. For a team that is seeing it's postseason chances slip away, though, maybe holding onto future assets would be better than trying to salvage a season that has refused to go the Padres' way.

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