3 San Diego Padres players most likely to be dealt at the MLB trade deadline

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Things have not gone as well as the San Diego Padres would have hoped out of the 2023 All-Star break. They split a key 10-game road trip against the Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, and Detroit Tigers. Against the Blue Jays and Tigers, they had a chance to sweep the series with a win in the third and final game, only to lose.

Returning home against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Friars dropped the first game, 8-4, and heard the frustration from the fanbase as they were booed multiple times. The second-half start leaves the Padres more pointing to selling off pieces than buying, despite bouncing back and winning 5-1 Tuesday night.

If GM A.J. Preller decides to sell, there are no shortage of pieces he could move and get a good return in terms of prospects or maybe even an impactful MLB player. Selling may not sit well with the fanbase, however, Preller has to have an eye toward 2024 after 2023 is all said and done.

San Diego Padres have three key trade pieces to move at the deadline

The decisions that need to be made at the trade deadline are tough, but need to be made. Preller has three key pieces to move, two who will be free agents after this season and one who has one more season, but the return will be beneficial for the future of San Diego.

San Diego reliever Josh Hader / Harry How/GettyImages

San Diego Padres could trade Josh Hader at the MLB trade deadline

There are two players that Preller can sell high on right now and the first one is closer Josh Hader, who is having a very good season despite the Padres' struggles.

He is 24 of 28 in save opportunities this season and, in 38 innings, the left-hander has a 0.95 ERA with 58 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting just .125 off of him and he's allowed just one home run and four earned runs all season.

Hader would be a big addition to any contender's bullpen, giving the acquiring team a left-handed arm to match up late in games and also close games. He was acquired by San Diego last summer and saved seven of his nine chances, but struggled giving up 14 runs in 16 innings. He saved all three Padres' wins in the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, then saved their only win over the Phillies in the NLCS.

He is a free agent this offseason and would be a rental for any team acquiring him. The Atlanta Braves, Phillies, and New York Yankees are realistic destinations for the former Milwaukee Brewers closer.

San Diego Padres pitcher Blake Snell / Sean M. Haffey/GettyImages

San Diego Padres could trade Blake Snell at the MLB trade deadline

The second player that Preller can sell high from the pitching staff is Blake Snell. The pitching market is going to have a lot of arms available, but Snell would be the top left-hander along with Jordan Montgomery of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Snell's 2023 season took off after San Diego signed Gary Sanchez in late May. The two formed a very good connection and played a big part in the Friars making a move in the standings and closing out the first half before the All-Star break playing some of their best baseball of the season against the Los Angeles Angels and New York Mets.

This season, he is 7-8 with a 2.61 ERA with 147 strikeouts in 114 innings. In his last seven games, he's 4-2 with a 0.69 ERA and 62 strikeouts with a WHIP of 1.27. As I have mentioned many times this season, his numbers are not an indication of how he's pitched in 2023. His record could very easily be .500 or better. In his last start on Tuesday night in a 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, he went six innings allowing just two hits and one run in what could be his final start as a Friar.

Like Hader, Snell is a free agent this summer and there would be a long list of teams lining up for his services over the final two months. If he's traded, he won't have Sanchez to work with, but he's been so good this season that he would succeed with any catcher.

Colorado Rockies v San Diego Padres / Denis Poroy/GettyImages

San Diego Padres could trade Juan Soto at the MLB trade deadline

Juan Soto has one year remaining on his contract for 2024 and would be a key piece to the Padres. However, if Preller decides to trade the outfielder, the return should be at least one impact player for the 2024 season.

Soto was San Diego's representative in the field at the All-Star Game in Seattle earlier this month and he has been good since the break. For the season, the left-handed power hitter is slashing .262/.416/.501 with 20 home runs and 61 RBI.

Why would the Padres trade Soto just one year after acquiring him from the Washington Nationals? At 24 years old, he's going to be looking for a monster contract following 2024 and San Diego might not want to invest all that money into him after signing Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts to big deals. Trading him now instead of holding onto him until this time next summer will limit the return. Like Hader and Snell, sell high when you can.

Trading him would also be tough after the haul that was sent back to the Nationals last summer, but they were in a win-now mode and fell short against Philadelphia. They are again in a win-now mode and will fall even shorter than last season and miss the playoffs.

There are no easy decisions this time of the year, but Hader, Snell, and Soto are three names that get some big returns for the Padres' future. It's hard for them to say it didn't work in 2023 and none of them may be moved, but at least getting something for one or two might be the way Preller goes.

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