Padres’ 2025 draft class is already exposing a familiar A.J. Preller problem

The Padres’ 2025 draft class is starting to look fascinating. Which should be excellent news for almost any team not named the Padres. Instead, the conversation has already shifted to what this means for July. No talk about development or patience. Apparently the possibility of the organization actually finding a handful of useful pieces inside their own system isn’t meant to spark a fantasy of seeing them in a Padres uniform.

The question is already simpler and much more Padres-esque. Which of these guys can A.J. Preller trade?

It’s always an interesting topic. But it’s also exhausting.

The names are legitimately worth watching. Clay Edmondson has been ridiculous at high Single-A Fort Wayne, piling up saves with a 0.47 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 27 strikeouts against six walks in 19 innings. Luke Cantwell is getting on base like he’s offended by the concept of getting out, slashing .325/.481/.450. Kerrington Cross has power and production, with five homers, 22 RBI and more walks than strikeouts. Ryan Wideman has 35 steals, tied for the most in professional baseball, and enough power to make the profile more than just a speed-only curiosity.

The Padres cannot keep treating every prospect surge like trade ammunition

Of course, some of this comes with the usual minor league disclaimers. Ty Harvey has hit when healthy, but he’s now dealing with a broken bone in his glove hand after already losing time to a hamstring strain. Justin DeCriscio earned a quick promotion after tearing through Lake Elsinore, but Fort Wayne has already pushed back. Truitt Madonna has athleticism and 11 steals, but 51 strikeouts in 43 games is not exactly a tiny footnote. Kruz Schoolcraft, the first-rounder and top-100 arm, is still more dream than finished product, even if May has looked much better than April.

This is the uncomfortable thing with Preller. He’s earned a lot of credit for being fearless. The Padres are not patient. They aren’t known to sit around waiting for perfect conditions. They chase stars. They turn dead roster spots into major league players. And they are great at making the league react to them.

But there is a cost to living this way.

At some point, a farm system cannot just be a checking account. Or trading cards. It has to produce actual Padres. Not every intriguing prospect has to become a sweetener. Maybe they Padres should try the weird thing for once. Keep some of them.

Let the 2025 draft class become more than a midseason shopping cart. That doesn’t mean Preller should straight up stop trading prospects. There’s still value in doing that. If there is a clear major league upgrade that changes the Padres’ season, of course the front office has to listen. This team is trying to win now, and hoarding every rising prospect just wouldn’t make sense. But they just need to learn the difference between being aggressive and being addicted to the next move.

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