Padres Rumors: 3 Players the Friars Could Trade This Deadline That Nobody is Talking About

At the start of the season, many saw the Padres as World Series contenders. I mean, who wouldn't with the amount of talent on the roster?

But this season has been far from what was expected from the Friars.

As of right now, they sit fourth in the NL West and are 10 games back of the first-place Dodgers. It's a far cry from what was expected to be their division to lose. 

So as the Trade Deadline rolls around, what could the Padres possibly do in order to get their organization on the right track moving forward.

The answer might be to sell off some of the organization's top talent before their contract expires, and rebuild the depleted farm system. 

Blake Snell and Josh Hader are both on expiring deals, and if they were to be put up for grabs, they would easily become two of the best players on the block. 

Last year, the Padres made the trade of the deadline when they got Juan Soto from the Nationals for what seemed like a who's who of top prospects, but now could the Padres look to flip Soto for some more minor league help?

Who are some other names that could be moved?

Jake Cronenworth

This season hasn't been Cronenworth's finest. He's only batting .207, and after back to back All-Star campaigns, he seems to have regressed just a little bit in 2023. The Padres could package him for some bullpen or catching help, or some solid prospects.

Ha-Seong Kim

Kim would have to be in a blockbuster type package. He's having a pretty decent year, and he's slowly become a very consistent part of the Padres lineup. He's batting .263 on the year, and leads the team in stolen bases, so in order to get Kim, the Padres would need a pretty big return.

Austin Nola

This one comes as no surprise. The padres need a different answer at catcher. Nola is on an expiring contract, so he could be included in a trade package maybe even for his replacement. He's only batting .146 on the year, and San Diego's #29 prospect Brandon Valenzuela is having a very solid year at AA San Antonio, so he could possibly be the answer.

Selling at the Trade Deadline doesn't automatically mean that a team is out of contention. In some cases it helps a team gear up with MLB-ready talent that could help for a run in October.