The San Diego Padres are very likely to be buyers at the MLB trade deadline, even if things look bleak. With exciting deals for Michael King and Dylan Cease, this is the year the team needs to commit.
While the Padres are still in a Wild Card spot right now, there is a chance they fall out of it. According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal on Foul Territory, the Padres aren’t in the best of shape leading up to the MLB trade deadline.
It’s going to be interesting to see how AJ Preller attacks the trade deadline with a lesser farm system and multiple holes to fill, says @Ken_Rosenthal.
“They’re in a tough spot, in my opinion.” pic.twitter.com/Rb4dsF7ybF
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 20, 2025
“They’re in a tough spot, in my opinion,” Rosenthal said. “They don’t know what’s going on with King, he’s until at least the all-star break. Yu Darvish has yet to pitch this season. They are getting by with lower-priced, lesser-known starters right now.”
Rosenthal continued, describing some of the holes the team is currently dealing with and the overall state of the team.
“They have a hole in left field,” Rosenthal said. “And they could use better production out of the catcher. There are a number of things with this team you could look at and say, ‘I wish it was a little bit better.'”
With the question marks in the rotation with Darvish and King, along with the hole in left field and questionable production from the catcher spot, the team has a lot of needs. Those all can’t be solved in one trade deadline, and if AJ Preller tried, he’d struggle to work around his depleted farm system.
San Diego doesn’t have the means to win bidding wars like they used to. While they will still likely be in the Wild Card race, it’s not a guarantee that the team will be in great shape by the trade deadline.
Even if they are in a Wild Card spot, they could be dealing with injuries or other holes, as there’s no guarantee that the Padres will have a healthy roster by the deadline. Any injuries or losing streaks, and the Padres could be in a tough spot.
They’ve already bought into the 2025 season, and selling at the deadline doesn’t seem feasible. It’s going to be a tricky deadline for the Padres, and Rosenthal sees it being a tough task to properly manage it in a pivotal season for the Padres.
