Padres fans should be skeptical of Ethan Salas' surprise promotion to Triple-A

Ethan Salas has rebounded nicely this year after a back injury derailed his 2025 season, hitting .286/.361/.417 (112 wRC+) in 300 plate appearances at Double-A. He looks completely healthy again, which is a promising sign for a 20-year-old catcher who represents the future of the position for the San Diego Padres.

Well, at least he does right now. A.J. Preller is known for his all-in gambits this time of year, which often means the front office has to pilfer the farm system in order to upgrade the major-league roster.

And if the Padres do attempt to buy at the trade deadline without adding too much money to their payroll, "That could require moving top prospect Ethan Salas, who is not considered untouchable," per the San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee. That's in line with Preller's modus operandi, especially after he shocked the world by trading Leo De Vries (and others) last summer for Mason Miller (and JP Sears).

Perhaps not so coincidentally, right on the heels of that report, Salas was promoted to Triple-A. Suffice it to say, the timing of this move is extremely suspect.

Padres' promotion of Ethan Salas is a thinly veiled trade deadline audition for other teams

It's not that Salas hasn't earned an opportunity to play in El Paso; most would agree that a catcher with his combination of offensive and defensive prowess deserves a step up in competition. Assuming his back no longer poses health concerns, it was only reasonable for the Padres to give him a chance at Triple-A, with an eye on potentially starting him on Opening Day in 2027.

It's the timing that will raise eyebrows. Late-season promotions almost always come after the trade deadline, once teams have added to or cleared out the rosters of their various affiliates. It's not unprecedented, but it's pretty unusual for a team to promote a top prospect (and one who is rumored to be on the trade block, despite Preller's recent comments) just before they alter their future outlook.

In other words, this reeks of another team asking to see Salas perform against higher level competition. It'll be a brief audition at Triple-A, but if he holds his own against the best pitchers Minor League Baseball has to offer, another team will surely be more confident in his ability to succeed at the MLB level.

Maybe this is just the Friars trying to get ahead of the curve, hoping that the young backstop will explode in El Paso and force their hand as early as September. But we know they already tried trading him once in an ill-fated offer for Jarren Duran that the Red Sox thankfully turned down last summer, and his value has only ballooned since then.

If Salas gets off to a quick start with his new team, expect to hear a lot of trade chatter about him over the coming days leading up to that fateful Aug. 3 deadline.

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