The San Diego Padres are gearing up for yet another important offseason. After their campaign ended on a sour note in the Wild Card round, San Diego is expected to go big in the months ahead. However, the team doesn’t have a lot of financial flexibility, which raises a key question: will the Padres trade one of their players to free up salary space and improve the roster?
That possibility is certainly on the table. What’s particularly intriguing is how the Padres will handle the situation with Fernando Tatis Jr. Bob Nightengale reports that while the Padres are reluctant to trade Tatis for obvious reasons, he remains their most appealing trade chip.
“They certainly don’t want to trade him, and still may not listen now, but with all of their bloated and back-loaded contracts, someone is going to eventually have to depart. And no one making big money has more trade value than Tatis, whose 14-year, $340 million contract suddenly looks rather reasonable,” Nightengale explains.
Tatis is coming off an impressive season capped by winning the 2025 NL Platinum Glove Award. Formerly the team’s shortstop, he transitioned to right field a few years ago—a move that has paid dividends for the Padres. This season, he led the National League in defensive runs saved (DRS) with an outstanding +42, while also topping all outfielders with +15 DRS.
His elite defensive skills, combined with his strong offensive production—an .814 OPS last season with 25 home runs—make Tatis an indispensable part of San Diego’s future plans.
Given all this, a trade involving the star right fielder seems unlikely. However, with the Padres’ pressing needs in their pitching staff, the team will need to clear salary space to pursue marquee acquisitions. Who that inevitable casualty might be remains uncertain.
As the offseason unfolds, Padres fans will be watching closely to see how the front office balances roster improvement with financial constraints—and whether Fernando Tatis Jr. remains the face of the franchise moving forward.
https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/san-diego-padres/padres-rumors-would-san-diego-dare-trade-fernando-tatis-jr
