The San Diego Padres are looking to make moves ahead of the MLB trade deadline but are reportedly holding onto one star prospect amid trade discussions. According to USA Today, the Padres consider catcher Ethan Salas untouchable. Salas, who has yet to play a game for the Padres, has been performing well in the minor leagues, currently playing for the Fort Wayne TinCaps and hitting .195 this year. Although his batting average isn’t impressive, he has hit 10 career home runs in the farm system and has a career .221 average in the minors.
Salas is regarded as one of the best defensive catchers in all of MLB’s farm systems. His performance earned him a spot in the MLB All-Star Futures Game this season. TinCaps manager Mike Daly praised Salas, stating, “What’s unique about Ethan is he’s able to impact the game in so many ways. His swing is much more connected, he’s focused on hitting hard line drives, and he’s using the whole field. He’s really talented, has a good approach, and has been consistent with his work.”
The Padres are focusing on developing young talent as they seek new stars after losing Juan Soto to the New York Yankees last year. As of Sunday, San Diego has a 51-50 record. Despite some major lineup changes, the Padres are above .500 and remain competitive in the National League West.
Currently, the team is going through a rough patch, having lost seven of their last ten games. While it’s unclear when Salas will join the big league team, his debut is expected at some point. According to USA Today, the Padres are aggressively seeking help to improve their roster.
The Padres are scheduled to play against the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday, with the first pitch set for 1:40 PM Eastern. San Diego needs to start winning consistently to stay competitive for a Wild Card spot. They are eight games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the division but only one game out of second place.