2) Padres catcher Gary Sanchez will survive the trade deadline but won't be back next season
Gary Sanchez was a desperation addition made by A.J. Preller with the team in desperate need of some offense, particularly at the catcher position. Austin Nola had done nothing all season while guys like Brett Sullivan and Luis Campusano weren't much better.
Sanchez got off to a roaring start but has come down to earth since. Overall, he's slashed .209/.289/.453 with ten home runs and 28 RBI in 46 games. He has an OPS+ of 105 which is better than anyone could've really expected from a guy who looked like he could've been on his way out of Major League baseball due to lack of interest.
The Padres can potentially swing a deal for a guy like Elias Diaz who is under team control past this season, but it's hard to envision them going all in for a rental catcher when the team still has such a small shot at a postseason berth.
Sanchez has been fine, but he's also on a one-year deal and is a player that can be upgraded in 2024. Maybe Campusano turns into something with the opportunity he's being given, or maybe the Padres sign or trade for a proven catcher. Regardless, it's hard to see Sanchez, a below-average defender who is clearly not the two-time all-star he once was, remaining in San Diego past this year.