3 Padres who are tanking their trade value ahead of crucial deadline

With the Padres staying competitive in the National League West, they are very likely to be buyers at the trade deadline. Nonetheless, they have some players who are slowly losing their value as summer arrives.

Luis Arraez

After three straight seasons leading the National League in batting average, Luis Arraez has finally hit a slump. He is hitting just .289 this season, and given his lack of any power or significant walking ability, he has been a net negative player as Baseball Reference has him worth -0.1 WAR in 2025.

If the Padres are looking for potential upgrades on the margins, sending Arraez to a new team with a prospect or two could be integral to that plan. However, that only works if he can get himself out of the slump he's been in. This weekend found him at an all time worst pace, as he went 0-15 in the four days leading up to his three hit performance on Tuesday.

If the Padres are buyers going into the deadline, Arraez could be seen as a piece to use in an upgrade for a more powerful bat. And if they end up as sellers, Arraez is an obvious name to be dealt for prospects given his age.

Adrian Morejon

While he has had a largely successful 2025 season, Adrian Morejon has to be considered as an option to be traded, and his recent blowup appearance against the Blue Jays may be showing signs of an overall inconsistency for Morejon. His ERA for the season sits at 3.09, but he's had a handful of outings allowing multiple runs and ultimately costing the Padres the game.

There are also numbers to support that Morejon is due for some regression, given that his strikeout numbers aren't elite by any means and he's allowed nearly as many hits as innings pitched. He is undoubtedly a good reliever, but with the Padres boasting one of the best bullpens in the league, Morejon could be seen as a luxury - even with his recent struggles against Toronto and Seattle. If those poor outings continue to make bi-weekly appearances though, the Padres may be lucky to get anything of value in return for Morejon.

Stephen Kolek

After his role in the historic start against the Rockies, Stephen Kolek has had three straight starts that do not exactly promote confidence in his ability to stay in the Padres' rotation once Yu Darvish returns. While he may have value out of the bullpen, the Padres may instead hope to find a team that still believes in Kolek despite recent results. He showed phenomenal glimpses in his first few starts, and could be a key piece if the Padres attempt to keep pace with the Dodgers. However, if Kolek continues this downward trend without showing signs of bouncing back, the Padres may be losing out on what was once a solid asset come the trade deadline.