With the Padres at 37-36 and holding the second of three wild card spots, there is a lot of speculation that they will be very active heading into the trade deadline. If recent history is any indicator, then GM AJ Preller likely has a few proposals up his sleeve.
However, with former Padres like OF James Wood, SS CJ Abrams and SP Mackenzie Gore (all traded for Juan Soto) starting to perform at a high level, he is also well aware of the value of retaining young talent with potential.
That’s why this article will cover three prospects who the Padres should not let go in any trade scenario.
Ethan Salas
Salas is the most popular commodity among receiving prospects. He is ranked the Padres’ No. 1 prospect, as well as MLB.com’s No. 5 prospect in all of baseball.
He was just 17 years old when he made his first appearance in the Padres’ minor league system and impressed from the start. Across three levels (AA, A+ and A), he has had 445 at-bats, compiling an OPS of .671. Not bad for someone who turned 18 at the beginning of June.
The Padres appear to have slowed down how aggressively they are pushing him through the minors for now, as he spent all of 2024 at A+ with the Fort Wayne Tin Caps. However, MLB.com predicts that he will make his Major League debut in 2025 at age 19.
LZ Robby Snelling
In 2022, the Padres selected Snelling in the first round of the MLB Draft. So far, he has proven that he is worth picking up. He had his first year playing professional baseball for San Diego in 2023 and was off. He posted a 1.82 ERA in 103.2 innings at AA, A+ and A.
MLB.com ranks him as the Padres’ No. 2 prospect and No. 25 in MLB. He is extremely well-rounded with an above-average fastball as well as a plus curveball with above-average control. “Snelling has long received solid reviews for his ability to manipulate his spin, adding and subtracting speed as needed as he changes shape.” MLB.com noted.
If all goes well, Snelling could make his MLB debut in 2025 alongside Salas.
Leodalis De Vries
The Padres double-did top international prospects in consecutive years when they signed Salas in 2023 and then De Vries in 2024. The 17-year-old is already MLB.com’s No. 79 prospect and the Padres’ fourth-best .
He has a unique combination of above-average power, hitting, arm and speed. What makes him even more valuable is his ability to hit out of both batters’ boxes. “De Vries, a switch-hitter, already impresses all evaluators with his pitch recognition, discipline and barrel control. He doesn’t expand the zone much against pitchers of any experience level nor is he someone who swings and misses much, if at all. MLB.com noted.
Although he plays an already crowded position for the Padres, he isn’t projected to appear in the major leagues until 2028 and by then a lot could change with the current roster.
