Latest Padres trade candidate makes no sense with team's current record

In a shocking development, Bleacher Report writer Kerry Miller has listed Padres' closer Robert Suarez as a possible offseason trade candidate. He called Suarez the best closer in baseball, but said he believes Suarez would opt-out of his current contract without an extension.

"There's about a 1000 percent chance Robert Suarez would opt out of the remaining two years of his contract," writes Miller.

This leads to an interesting question...could Suarez actually be traded, and if so, how much value would he command on the trade market?

Would the Padres actually trade Robert Suarez?

The Padres have a long history of trades under current General Manager AJ Preller. Recent trade deadline moves have included accquiring players like Tanner Scott (2024), Martin Perez (2024), Juan Soto (2022), Josh Hader (2022), Brandon Drury (2022), Adam Frazier (2021), Daniel Hudson (2021), Mike Clevinger (2021) and Austin Nola (2020).

However, there is a common theme among those trade deadline moves, in that the Padres have been trading for those players. San Diego has made significiant steps to improve at the deadline under AJ Preller. Most of the players given up in those trades have been prospects. Josh Naylor, Andres Muñoz, CJ Abrams, Mackenzie Gore and Robby Snelling are among some of the top players traded away from San Diego, but none of them were stars at the time they were traded.

Trading away one of their best players, and a key to their success in 2025, would feel highly uncharacteristic of San Diego based on what they have done at the deadline in years past. However, surprises could happen, and if they do trade Suarez, just how much could they get back for the All-Star?

What would Robert Suarez be worth on the trade market?

Every year, there are at least a few top relievers moved around at the deadline, and if Suarez is moved, he would likely be the top closer available.

So far, he leads the National League with 15 saves, pitching to a 2.84 ERA and a 0.789 WHIP in 19 innings. He is following up on a dominant 2024 season when he tossed 65 innings of 2.77 ERA baseball. Suarez finished last season with a career-high 36 saves.

He has been remarkably consistent since arriving in San Diego in 2022. Suarez has a career ERA of 2.88, a career WHIP of 0.992 and has held opponents to an OPS of .552 in his career.

While Suarez does have two years on his contract after this season, he could opt out, making him likely a two-month rental. That does not mean he would not command a massive haul if traded. Last year, the Padres gave up five prospects, including their No. 2, No. 4 and No. 5 prospects, for closer Tanner Scott, another two-month rental.

Scott, who held a 1.18 ERA at the time of the trade, might have been more valuable than Suarez, but considering his remarkable consistency, a potential Suarez deal might not be that far off.

Suarez would likely command multiple prospects - at least one of them high-level - if he were to be traded. Still, it feels unlikely that San Diego would give up their All-Star closer if they are still in a tight division race with the Dodgers.