Padres Rumors: AJ Preller trying to exceed Juan Soto trade at Winter Meetings

If there’s one thing you can always count on at the Winter Meetings, it’s AJ Preller making the rumor mill spin off its axis.

Kevin Acee lit the latest match, reporting that two sources familiar with the San Diego Padres’ discussions say Preller is “shooting big” again. Not just “add a reliever and a bench bat” big. We’re talking “remember-where-you-were-when-the-alert-hit-your-phone” big.

Padres front office rumors hint at AJ Preller swinging a trade that dwarfs Juan Soto deal

According to Acee, one source said the Padres are working multiple fronts that could rival the Juan Soto blockbuster from two years ago, when San Diego landed four big leaguers in one swipe. Another source went even further, saying that if Preller’s plans actually come together, the deals he made at the last two trade deadlines would “pale in comparison.”

That’s not the kind of language you use for a modest little salary dump.

So if we’re drawing a line directly to the Soto deal as the comparison point, it’s only natural for Padres fans to jump straight to the nuclear option: a trade big enough to involve Fernando Tatis Jr.

Could it be someone else? Sure. Xander Bogaerts’ contract is a constant talking point. Mason Miller’s name has popped up, but that would be odd. You can construct scenarios where Preller flips a haul of young talent for multiple win-now pieces, or uses one of the long-term deals as the centerpiece in a franchise-shaking reset.

But when you start tossing around phrases like “rival the Soto trade” and “pale in comparison,” it’s hard to imagine Tatis isn’t at least part of the conversation internally. He’s the one player on the roster whose name instantly changes the scale of any rumor. You don’t exceed Soto-sized chaos by moving a mid-rotation arm and a prospect.

Of course, this is exactly how the Winter Meetings work. Vague sourcing, big adjectives, and a fanbase trying to separate what’s real from what’s just smoke. Preller could walk out of here having done something completely different than what anyone spent four days guessing.

But Acee’s reporting makes one thing clear: whatever the Padres are cooking, it’s not small. And until the first real alert hits, every Padres fan is stuck asking the same nervous question:

Just how far is AJ Preller willing to go this time?