3 Padres players A.J. Preller should still regret trading away

In his time with the Padres, A.J. Preller has shown no fear in making the big splash via trade. The desire to compete against the league’s best serves as a catalyst that drives the moves he makes.

However, there are instances where Preller gets a little too ambitious, and there are definitely trades where it would have been safer to refrain from going through with them.

Below are three trades in particular that Preller should regret pulling the trigger on.

3 Padres players A.J. Preller regret traded away before their value exploded

James Wood

Once a prospect in the Padres farm system, James Wood was dealt as part of the massive haul that sent Juan Soto to San Diego. A move that seemed justified at the time, as the team was in the middle of their contending window, but it did not pan out that way.

The Padres went on to trade Soto to the New York Yankees, but the damage was already done to what was an exceptional farm system.

In his 2025 season with the Washington Nationals, James Wood slashed .256/.350/.475 with 31 home runs. He is proving to be the cornerstone piece of a rebuilding team.

The Padres definitely regret moving on from him so early.

Mackenzie Gore

Another product of the Juan Soto trade, Mackenzie Gore struggled in the beginning of his career, but began to blossom into his full potential. Gore earned his first All-Star selection while logging a 4.17 ERA over 159.1 innings.

The Nationals ended up flipping Gore to the Texas Rangers in exchange for five prospects, a solid haul. But the Padres definitely wish they had him in their rotation, considering how week it has gotten.

Josh Naylor

In 2020, the Padres opted to trade Josh Naylor, along with Cal Quatrill and Austin Hedges to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for Mike Clevinger and Greg Allen. However, the trade did not pan out the way the team wanted it to, as Clevinger (the big piece) missed all of 2021 and played poorly in 2022.

Naylor, on the otherhand, helped make the Guardians, and then the Seattle Mariners more competitive. He reached the ALCS in back-to-back seasons, but has not yet made it to the World Series.

With first base struggles in the past, the Padres would like to have someone as consistent as Naylor playing the position. But unfortunately, those days are in the past.