If Padres Sell At Trade Deadline, Which Prospects Are Most Deserving Of Being Called Up?

Despite the fact that we still do not know which direction A.J. Preller and the San Diego Padres will head prior to the trade deadline, there is a case to be made that they should sell off at least a few pieces in order to start building more with the future in mind. Even if they do make a run at October, the construction of this team would benefit from some longer-term pieces that haven't already passed their primes.

If the Padres do decide to sell, there are a number of candidates permeating the roster. Arms like Mason Miller, Michael King, Adrian Morejon, and a handful of others could head out from the pitching staff, while the likes of Ty France or Jake Cronenworth could be had for the right price on the positional side. 

Selling means that the Padres would be poised to being a reconstruction of their underwhelming farm system. As such, it's difficult to see too many names coming back that would immediately impact the major-league roster. That is, of course, barring any deal that includes current top-level talent in exchange for top-level talent or upper-minors talent from other clubs included as part of a deal that might've been blocked elsewhere. However, the Padres are going to need bodies to fill in for any departures, regardless of which level players are traded from.

Obviously, the immediate pivot would be to veterans with prior major-league experience. Which means that it's more likely that we could see names in the system like Ty Adcock, Will Wagner, or Nick Solak added back into the equation before year's end. Those represent genuine bodies that could play out the rest of a year if the team punted on their postseason prospects (unlikely as that may be right now).

However, there's also not a whole lot of intrigue with more known quantities that live on the fringes of the top level at this point in their respective careers. The real interest is in those who could be in line for a debut in 2026, with the potential to be a factor beyond it. As such, taking players of that ilk out of the equation, who from the system could get at least a cup of coffee post-deadline? 

Jagger Haynes (LHP, El Paso)

Currently No. 13 in our list of the Padres' top prospects, Haynes was a fifth-round pick in the shortened 2020 draft and was just recently promoted to El Paso. He only has two short starts under his belt with the Chihuahuas with terrible results (18.00 ERA), but averaged 5.2 innings per start and a 4.37 ERA with Double-A San Antonio earlier this season. Those numbers aren't especially noteworthy, but Haynes offers specific context that could warrant a call-up before year's end, especially if slots in the pitching staff are vacated prior to the deadline. 

For one, he offers a slider and changeup that can be effective against hitters of both handedness. His command tends to lean a bit wonky, but he's had more success with each of those pitches than his largely average fastball that tops out in the mid-90s. That his command has been in question could have him carving out a role in relief rather than as a starter.

That's the other factor here. Having multiple spots available on both ends of the pitching staff could afford the team with a chance to see where he best fits moving forward, if he fits at all. As Haynes is 23 and through a season of Rule 5 eligibility, the team may take the opportunity to see what his future holds. Considering his ability to provide volume, the team could choose to deploy him in a starting capacity down the stretch in lieu of the likes of Griffin Canning or Walker Buehler, with an eye on a potential relief role in 2027 should it not work out.

Miguel Mendez (RHP, San Antonio)

Mendez was a fast riser in 2025, moving from Low-A to Double-A before season's end. The results weren't especially terrific once he reached San Antonio, but he's looked much better since starting there at the outset of 2026. He's made 11 starts, with a 4.93 ERA and a more appealing 3.20 FIP. There's an interesting alignment here with Haynes in that Mendez also doesn't have a clearly defined role for the future; he's only reached five innings in a start twice this season. However, Mendez does present the organization with quite a bit more upside in terms of the stuff, with a strikeout rate near 25 percent courtesy of a fastball that lives in the mid-to-upper 90s and combines with an effective slider. 

That stuff could make him just intriguing enough to warrant a call-up as the Padres work to carve out a role for him moving forward. His command has steadily improved, though the team may like him more as a reliever given his history of shakiness in that aspect of his game. If the Padres move on from any of their higher profile arms, it's entirely possible we see Mendez get a call to bring his fastball-slider combination to replace whatever upside is lost at the deadline. Dropping that combo into leverage in lower stakes games could be a solid showcase. He's already on the 40-man, too.

Marcos Castañon (IF, El Paso)

It's more difficult to find position players that merit a call-up for showcase purposes than it is to find an arm. If the Padres were to recall a fresh face on the positional side, Castañon may be the most logical choice. The 2021 12th-round pick from UC Santa Barbara is in the midst of a below-average offensive season by wRC+ (81), but has put together a respectable .279/.327/.443 line across more than 325 plate appearances this season. He's also cut his strikeout rate by nearly 10 percent since last year.

The catch here is that it's been a couple of years since Castañon found his name on any prospect list for the Padres given his lack of a clear position and waning upside with the bat. Nevertheless, that he's been able to move around the field even in 2026 — logging time at first, second, and third base — while improving his contact skills could make him a worthwhile replacement for someone like Ty France or Gavin Sheets, should either one be traded prior to the deadline. At the very least, he reads as the kind of player sort of at the end of his run up through the system, and it may behoove the Padres to see if he's capable of hanging around as a bench bat in the future.

View our top trade candidates list, up to nearly 70 names and updated regularly!