3 Padres who aren't as safe as they think with trade deadline approaching

The San Diego Padres will be buyers at the MLB trade deadline, that much is clear. What's unclear is who the team is planning to target, and what the price tag is going to be. If the Friars are still dead set on acquiring Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet, it's going to take a haul. If Padres President of Baseball Operations AJ Preller is looking to supplement the pitching staff, rather than pull off another summer blockbuster, a lesser trade could do the trick.

But there are always a few surprises at the MLB trade deadline. The Friar faithful know that all too well after watching the Padres ship out a massive trade package to DC two summers ago in exchange for Juan Soto and Josh Bell. It's doubtful that players like C.J. Abrams, Luke Voit, or MacKenzie Gore expected to be casualties.

With the Padres looking to buy once again, there are a handful of players who are in a similar boat. While the likes of Manny Machado, Dylan Cease, and Fernando Tatis Jr. know that they're staying put, which three Padres players should be feeling a bit uncomfortable with the trade deadline less than a week away?

Adam Mazur, Padres RHP

Adam Mazur is currently down in the minor leagues, but the right-hander is still part of the Padres 40-man roster. Mazur made his big league debut this season, and his time in The Show didn't go as planned. The 23-year-old went 1-2 in seven starts with a 7.84 ERA and 21 punchouts in 31 innings of work.

But Mazur offers other organizations a lot of positives. While his first taste of the major leagues could have gone better, not every pitcher sticks their first time up. In fact, Mazur now has an understanding of areas he needs to improve upon as his professional career begins to take shape.

Mazur is a former second-round pick who can touch the mid-to-upper 90s with his fastball. Mazur is just a rookie, meaning he's under team control for several more seasons. A number of rebuilding organizations may see Mazur as a back-of-the-rotation starter, and it shouldn't come as a shock if he's included in a trade deadline deal to help improve this year's pitching staff.

Graham Pauley, Padres 3B

Much like Mazur, Graham Pauley made his major league debut this season and was rather underwhelming during his 13-game stint. Pauley hit just .125 with a .438 OPS. The Duke alum did, however, power two big flies out of the yard and has a consistent track record in the minors.

Pauley posted a .308/.393/.539 slash line in 127 minor league games last season. The 23-year-old is a versatile defender, something that's valued in today's game. Pauley has fewer than 100 games played in the upper minor leagues, but has still managed to crank out 23 extra-base hits in fewer than 70 games in Triple-A this season.

Pauley is a top-10 prospect in the Padres' farm system, and with so many infielders on the 40-man roster, it's easy to see how the Friars could potentially package him in an effort to upgrade the bullpen or starting rotation. While Pauley may think he's safe, there's no such thing when Preller is running the show.

Jake Cronenworth, Padres 1B

Some Padres fans will laugh at the notion of trading Jake Cronenworth, but don't think for one second that the Friars first baseman has a secure spot on the roster. While Cronenworth is a fan favorite, the infielder is 30 years old and under contract for another six seasons.

With both Ha-Seong Kim and Jurickson Profar entering free agency next offseason, Preller and Co. may need to figure out a way to get some money off the books. While no team will come close to trading for some the Padres' mega-deals, Cronenworth's $11.5 million AAV is not awful.

With Pauley in the minors and Donovan Solano on the major league roster, the Padres have plenty of infielders. Though Cronenworth has bounced back from his down year in 2023, perhaps San Diego could part ways with the slugger before his trade value tanks. It would be a bit surprising, but not a complete shock, to see Cronenworth dealt at the deadline.

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