With the Padres sitting at 37-36 and holding the second of three Wild Card spots, there’s lots of hypothesis that they are going to be very lively approaching the commerce deadline. If latest historical past is any indicator, then GM AJ Preller seemingly has a number of proposals up his sleeve.
Nevertheless, with former Padres like OF James Wooden, SS CJ Abrams and SP Mackenzie Gore (all traded for Juan Soto) beginning to carry out at a excessive stage, he is additionally nicely conscious of the worth in retaining younger expertise with upside.
That is why this text will cowl three prospects who the Padres ought to completely not let go of in any commerce state of affairs.
C Ethan Salas
Salas is the most popular commodity amongst catching prospects. He is ranked because the Padres’ No. 1 prospect in addition to MLB.com’s No. 5 prospect in all of baseball.
He was simply 17 years outdated when he made his first look within the Padres minor league system and he impressed from the very starting. By means of three ranges (AA, A+ and A), he is had 445 at-bats, accumulating a .671 OPS. Not too dangerous for somebody who turned 18 in early June.
The Padres have appeared to decelerate how aggressively they’re pushing him by way of the minors for now as he is spent all of 2024 at A+ with the Fort Wayne Tin Caps. Nevertheless, MLB.com predicts him to make his main league debut in 2025 at 19 years outdated.
LHP Robby Snelling
In 2022, the Padres chosen Snelling within the first spherical of the MLB Draft. Thus far, he is confirmed to be well worth the decide. He had his first yr enjoying skilled baseball for San Diego in 2023 and he was lights out. He earned a 1.82 ERA in 103.2 innings in AA, A+ and A.
MLB.com ranks him because the Padres No. 2 prospect and No. 25 in MLB. He is extraordinarily well-rounded with an above-average fastball in addition to a plus curveball with above-average management. “Snelling has lengthy drawn robust opinions together with his capacity to control his spin, including and subtracting velo as wanted whereas altering form,” MLB.com famous.
If all goes nicely, Snelling might be making his MLB debut in 2025 proper together with Salas.
SS Leodalis De Vries
The Padres double-dipped on prime worldwide prospects in consecutive years once they signed Salas in 2023 after which De Vries in 2024. The 17-year-old is already MLB.com’s No. 79 prospect and the Padres’ fourth-best.
He has a novel mixture of above-average energy, hitting, arm and plus pace. What makes him much more helpful is his capacity to hit from each batting packing containers. “A switch-hitter, De Vries already impresses all evaluators together with his pitch recognition, self-discipline and barrel management. He doesn’t broaden the zone a lot in opposition to pitchers of any expertise stage neither is he one to swing and miss a lot, if in any respect,” MLB.com famous.
Although he performs at an already extraordinarily crowded place for the Padres, he is not projected to seem within the main leagues till 2028 and by then lots may change with the present roster.
