TomCent

Last year, the San Diego Padres acquired Mason Miller to be a late-inning weapon out of their bullpen. Miller wants to remain in that role 2026, even if the team thinks he could dominate elsewhere on the pitching staff. As a reminder, the right-hander is the team's projected closer after Robert Suarez signed with the Braves, but there has been chatter this winter that the Friars might consider converting Miller or Adrian Morejon back to starting to bolster a thin rotation. Miller is not a fan of the idea. "It's been an exciting conversation that's been had year in and year out since I did transition to the bullpen, I've had a lot of success (as a reliever), and right now, to go away from that doesn't make sense for me," he told Todd Frazier on the Foul Territory podcast Thursday. Miller, 27, was almost unhittable out of the 'pen for San Diego after coming over from the Athletics last July 31. He allowed seven hits and struck out 45 (with 10 walks) over 23 1/3 innings. He also worked 2 2/3 scoreless frames in the Wild Card Series against the Cubs. His last MLB start was on Sept. 16, 2023, as an A's rookie against the Padres. He allowed two runs in an inning as an opener for Luis Medina. Since then, he has made 118 consecutive relief appearances. "I'm never going to be the guy that rules (returning to starting) out down the line, but I will admit it is hard to go away from something that you're having a lot of success with," he told Frazier. "And I think my value right now is being the lockdown guy in the ninth or late in games." "Down the road? Maybe, we'll see, but this year we're looking at the bullpen," he added. Miller pointed out that there is a clear economic benefit to him remaining a reliever. "My first year in the (salary arbitration) system, I'm being (compared) as a reliever, and a pretty good reliever at that, so I'm going to keep that ball rolling," he said. Miller and the Padres avoided a hearing by agreeing to a one-year, $4 million contract last week. San Diego has less of a need for starters after re-signing Michael King to a three-year, $75 million contract, but The Athletic reported last week that club is telling teams they want to add another arm. Their limited financial (and prospect) resources make the path to achieving that unclear, but displacing perhaps the most dominant closer in the modern game doesn't seem to be the right way of going aboutit. On a lighter note, Miller is contemplating a new entrance song. He told Erik Kratz that he's down to a few options to replace Nickelback's "Burn it to the Ground." The goal is to amp up the energy. "Nickelback seemed to be so-so last year, so I think we're going to go a different route," he said. View full article

The start of 2026 is fast approaching, and the San Diego Padres still haven't made the blockbuster trade(s) that were teased/threatened during the Winter Meetings. That inaction has created a vacuum in the fan realm. Usually, it gets filled with trade ideas that would make every team involved say "no." But until Padres president A.J. Preller decides whether he is or isn't moving Nick Pivetta, Mason Miller and anyone else who has been in the rumor mill this month, people will keep using the interwebs to fire off proposals that totally aren't fleece jobs in the Friars' favor. But what if I told you I have three wild ideas that can be rolled into one multi-team swap that would help everyone involved? And that I can actually defend it? (Save the eye rolls and hate until you get to the end.) With that, and against the opinions of podcasters and pundits who know better (I see you, Erik Kratz), here's what I've devised: TRADE No. 1: Padres and Mets PADRES GET: RHP Kodai Senga INF Ronny Mauricio SS/OF Jett Williams (Mets' No. 4 prospect, No. 51 overall prospect per Baseball America) LHP Jonathan Santucci (Mets' No. 10 prospect) METS GET: RHP Mason Miller OF Ramon Laureano Why the deal makes sense for the Padres: It capitalizes on two sell-high opportunities AND helps to set up a much larger trade. Last year, Miller cost the Padres their top prospect, shortstop Leo De Vries, in a deadline deal. At the moment, he's the team's closer, but Jeremiah Estrada is still around. Miller is 27 and controllable for the next four seasons. His trade value remains sky-high. In 2025, Laureano revived his career as a 30-year-old with the Orioles and Padres. He enjoyed a solid a post-deadline run in San Diego (.812 OPS, nine home runs in 198 plate appearances). He may never be more tradeable, even though the Padres don't have a ready replacement for him. Kratz said on the "Foul Territory" podcast that the Padres should offload Xander Bogaerts' contract if they're serious about trading Miller. That might be needed in a real trade, but here, it isn't. Senga, 33 in January, is a question mark because of injuries and the fact he was demoted to the minors in the middle of a playoff race last year. But his rookie season of 2023 (2.98 ERA/3.63 FIP, 29.1 strikeout percentage in 166 1/3 innings) and contract (two years, $28 million, club option for 2028 based on health) will tease teams. Our @Randy Holt wrote this month that, on paper, a Senga trade to the Padres makes sense; this would be one way to make that happen. Mauricio, 24, is a switch hitter with light-tower power from the left side, but he's still catching up physically two years after suffering a major knee injury. The Athletic's Will Sammon reported this week the Mets are "open to moving" him, along with fellow infielders Mark Vientos and Luisangel Acuna. Sammon also reported the return "matters quite a bit" to the Mets in any trades they may make. Dare we say, Miller would make it worth their while? In real life, Mauricio could take over at second base for the Pads, but in this hypothetical, he isn't staying. Neither are Williams, who was the Mets' top prospect and a top-30 player not long ago, or Santucci, who made it to Double-A in his first pro season in 2025 and impressed there. Now, on to what you could call the Pivetta Pivot. TRADE No. 2: Padres and Orioles PADRES GET: 1B Ryan Mountcastle OF Nate George (Orioles' No. 4 prospect, No. 78 overall) RHP Trey Gibson ORIOLES GET: RHP Nick Pivetta and cash Why the deal makes sense for the Padres: San Diego would fill a need on the infield and move a pitcher who is likely in the final year of his contract. They'd also add trade capital for the deal that comes next in this exercise. Pivetta, 33, in February, was at his best in 2025 (career highs with 181 2/3 innings pitched and 190 strikeouts; a 3.49 FIP/2.87 ERA; a 19-12 team record in his starts). He's the most reliable rotation option at the moment. But he'll also be making $19 million in 2026, and he has a player option for 2027; another good year would set him up well in a free-agent SP class that is expected to be loaded. Mountcastle, 29 in February, is a natural first baseman, unlike the converted middle infielders who have occupied the position recently in San Diego. He's a power threat who's entering his walk year following an injury-marred 2025. He also should be eminently available -- the O's are stacked at first base and DH with Pete Alonso, Tyler O'Neill, Samuel Basallo and Coby Mayo. George, 19, reached High-A ball last year in his first pro season and slashed .291/.380/.392 in 21 games there. Pretty good work for a 16th-round draft pick out of high school. Gibson, 23, is a power arm who struggled in his first go-round at Triple-A. Two down, one to go. That leaves the least realistic trade of the lot, but it's a deal that still works because of the returns from the first two trades. TRADE No. 3: Padres and Tigers PADRES GET: Tarik Skubal PTBNL TIGERS GET: Mauricio Williams Santucci George Gibson LHP Kash Mayfield (Padres' No. 4 prospect) Why this deal makes sense for the Padres: Skubal, even as a rental, is all that needs to be said, but let's expand on that: The prospect cost would be minimal, for once. Mayfield is the lone San Diego farmhand going to the Tigers in this scenario. Preller would flip the young players and minor leaguers that the Mets and Orioles provided. Dealing a first-rounder like Mayfield would be difficult, but it would also be on-brand. The left-hander was babied a bit in his first pro campaign. He mostly pitched once a week and logged just 60 2/3 innings over 19 appearances (all starts) for Low-A Lake Elsinore. He missed three weeks in May and June with shoulder discomfort. But when he was on the mound, he was good: 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings, a 3.14 K:BB ratio and 0.3 home runs per nine (in the California League!). Detroit needs to be overwhelmed to move its Cy Young-winning ace. A half-dozen players of this caliber could maybe make Tigers president Scott Harris think for a second: a young starting infielder, two top-100 hitters and three potential frontline starters in exchange for Skubal's walk season. In truth, this is probably too much for one year of the southpaw, but we're in the business of excess in this exercise. In the end, the Padres' portion of all this would be Skubal, Senga and Mountcastle for Pivetta, Miller, Laureano and Mayfield. Preller could actually make the first two trades separately, give or take a few names, if the Orioles aren't content with just adding Shane Baz. We've written previously that he should be trying to backfill the farm system after dealing more than a dozen high-level prospects over the past three years. And, yes, if he's offering Miller in trades, he could just make him the centerpiece of a potential trade for Skubal. The counter is that, in this scenario, Preller would stay true to his all-in M.O. by obtaining an elite starter and rotation depth, but without gutting the farm once more. View full article

The San Diego Padres filled a gaping hole in their 2026 rotation by agreeing to re-sign free-agent right-hander Michael King. It's a big deal, in more ways than one. As important as it was for San Diego to address an offseason need, the contract's structure benefits the club early while also protecting the player for the foreseeable future. The basic math, per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, is $75 million over three years ($25 million AAV). That's in line with what Nathan Eovaldi and Sean Manaea received last offseason to return to the Rangers and Mets, respectively. But the baseball math makes this deal potentially much smaller, and therefore a win for the Pads. It starts with the breakdown of the Year 1 compensation. According to Feinsand's sources, King is guaranteed up to $22 million in 2026, which is almost equal to the $22.05 million qualifying offer he declined last month. But the payout is not straightforward. Rather, it's divided this way: -- $12 million signing bonus. -- $5 million base salary. -- $5 million buyout of a $28 million player option for 2027. If King rebounds from his injury-marred 2025 season and pitches like the revelation he was in 2024, then he'll surely test the market again at 31. If he has a bad year and/or is injured again, then he can opt in and bank the $28 million. Then, he would face a similar decision following Year 2: a $30 million player option for 2028, with no buyout. Those are nice insurance policies. Consider this, too: If MLB's salary structure changes drastically in the wake of a lockout next December, that $58 million could become above market. King would have an incentive to stay all three seasons, but he still would be able to go year to year. Of course, the Padres get something out of this, too. King's $5 million salary next year should, in theory, allow the front office to spend on a back-end starter and/or an infield bat (beyond the recently signed Sung-mun Song). Even if that's not the plan, San Diego's rotation leaders -- King, Nick Pivetta ($19 million) and Joe Musgrove ($20 million) -- will tie up a reasonable $44 million in cash in 2026. For a budget-conscious team, that's more than affordable, even if the long-term plan is still uncertain. If King opts out next offseason, then the club would be freed from a backloaded contract after extracting solid value. The timing couldn't be better because of the labor situation and the possibility that ownership will change course and trim the payroll. It's rare that a deal with this kind of structure is a win-win for both sides, but the Padres did what it took to keep King in town. Now, they'll reap the benefits. View full article

The San Diego Padres reportedly are looking to do Padres things this offseason, even after the conclusion of the Winter Meetings. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller is devising something that would "rival" the Juan Soto trade (the one to the Yankees, that is) and/or "pale in comparison" to what he pulled off the past two trade deadlines, if Kevin Acee's sources are to be believed. What could such a deal -- or series of deals -- involve? Hint: It's not moving Jeremiah Estrada and/or Jake Cronenworth. No, there's a more obvious one, even it isn't being intensely discussed at the moment: moving Fernando Tatis Jr. for a haul. As odious as that might seem to Tatis (full no-trade through 2028) and Padres fans, it's THE move to attempt, now or in 2026, if Preller wants to keep the club's current run going -- or start a new one quickly. Based on San Diego's major-league roster and farm system, he has all but check-mated himself into doing it. A quick personnel review: After Tatis, the only young foundational position player is Jackson Merrill, whose nine-year, $135 million contract extension kicks in next year. Merrill produced 2.7 bWAR in 2025 despite injuries, but Tatis is in another galaxy of stars (team-leading 5.9 bWAR last year). The other lineup fixtures are getting old. Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts are entering their age-33 seasons. Cronenworth is entering his age-32 season. Ramon Laureano is entering his age-31 season. Tatis will be in his age-27 campaign, with nine years and $286 million remaining on his extension, next year. Nick Pivetta is the lone reliable starting pitcher. Joe Musgrove is a dice roll. If the rotation remains a weak spot, then the bullpen needs to stay elite. An Estrada trade would need to significantly improve the roster. Is such a deal available? The farm is fallow. The Padres' system was dead last in Baseball America's midseason talent rankings last August. "This is the thinnest system in the game because of trades. The bottom two-thirds of this Top 30 would not crack the Top 30 of the game’s deepest systems," BA wrote. The owners are all but a lock to lock out the players a year from now, which might change payroll dynamics. The clubs will want to force the union into accepting a salary cap (evergreen sentence). The '26-27 offseason, therefore, figures to be as chaotic as the '21-22 offseason, which was the last lockout winter. Padres chairman John Seidler told Acee and other reporters this week that he is committed to keeping the payroll steady in '26, but will his thinking change if MLB's salary system changes? And will that then require really hard decisions, such as asking Tatis to leave? Back to now: Preller could try to push all-in for Tarik Skubal or Sandy Alcantara, but the Tigers seem uninterested in moving their ace and Alcantara hasn't yet regained his pre-surgery form. With the Pirates suddenly wanting to win, a Paul Skenes mega-trade has almost no chance of happening. And even if it was, Preller could add Estrada and Cronenworth to the prospects and it still wouldn't be good enough. Maybe he can offer enough to get Brandon Lowe from the Rays and/or Kodai Senga from the Mets. But much larger moves are being teased. Like, say, a 5- or 6-for-1 return for Tatis. Preller could aim for prospects who would rival the likes of James Wood, C.J. Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Jakob Marsee, Stephen Kolek and Leo De Vries. During his MLB Network segment Tuesday night at the meetings, Preller wouldn't say outright whether Tatis or anyone else was untouchable. "Like anything, you want to listen," he said. "You want to be able to listen to hear what people are going to say. That's the only way to find out more information, what's out there. But we like our team." That's typical GM talk, of course. But when it comes to the 2026 and 2027 Padres, "We want to listen" needs to become "I'm all ears," particularly when it comes to Tatis. View full article

Ty Adcock has three things going for him as he joins his fourth MLB organization: 1. A fun name. 2. A big arm. 3. Winter-league buzz. Nos. 2 and 3 are mostly why the Padres signed him to a one-year, major league contract less than a week before the start of the 2025 Winter Meetings. Adcock is the type of depth reliever teams try to accumulate. Usually, these pitchers can be shuttled between MLB and Triple-A during the season. If a roster crunch hits, they can be cut without much stress. But Adcock is out of minor league options. The Mets outrighted him last August, and he became a minor league free agent in November. The major league contract is a tell that the Pads think they might have something in the right-hander, who will turn 29 on February 7. Adcock made just six appearances for New York over parts of two seasons. (Yes, he was one of the record 46 pitchers used by New York in 2025.) He did not enter manager Carlos Mendoza's bullpen circle of trust. In fact, he pitched with a lead just once in those half-dozen outings. Including his rookie season of 2023 with the Mariners, Adcock has pitched to a career 5.48 ERA (7.18 FIP), with nine home runs allowed in 23 innings. On the positive side, he owns a 4.75 K:BB ratio. Maybe the Padres liked the strike-throwing and decided to make a move. More likely, they really liked what he was doing with Estrellas in the Dominican winter league, which until about a week ago was managed by Fernando Tatis Sr. In nine innings over seven appearances (all in relief), Adcock racked up 15 strikeouts with no walks. His strikeout rate was 41.7 percent, and his K:BB was, well, infinity. (All stats through Dec. 3.) San Diego saw enough to put him on the 40-man roster. So, what, exactly, does Adcock offer the Friars if not high-leverage experience? Heat, mostly. In Seattle, he was slider-first, followed by the four-seamer. In New York, the pitch mix flipped, and he started throwing a cutter. (Source: Baseball Savant) In that transformation was the usual pursuit of added velo. Adcock caught it. Last season, Adcock bumped up his four-seamer average from 96.6 mph to 97.1 mph, while his cutter stayed at 93.1 mph. And the slider, which he throws equally to right-handed and left-handed batters, checks in at 86.9 mph, giving him good separation. (All velos per Baseball Savant.) On the downside, the four-seam spin rate is... not elite: 2,172 rpm (he's between Jeffrey Springs and Carlos Carrasco on the Statcast chart). The slider profiles better at 2,199 rpm. The company around him on that pitch is Hunter Brown, Zack Littell, and... Jeremiah Estrada. The cutter, his third pitch, spins at 2,206 rpm, which puts him between Springs, Logan Gillaspie, and Jason Alexander. So, his stuff is a tick or two below Estrada and other new teammates, David Morgan and Bradgley Rodriguez, but it should still play at the bottom of the 'pen. To recap, Adcock comes to San Diego with a three-pitch arsenal mix by a high-90s heater and a big showing in winter ball. In the spring, he'll try to build momentum while working with pitching coach Ruben Niebla and first-year manager Craig Stammen. Maybe they'll end up with a guy who is no longer Just A Guy. View full article

As sample sizes go, 7 2/3 innings for a pitcher is nothing. We know that no useful projections can be made from that. But sometimes, a team can still see the future during those limited moments -- if it swaps out the data microscope for the long-lamented eye test. Take the Padres and Bradgley Rodriguez, for example. Based on what the team saw from the rookie right-hander last September, it ought to feel confident that he can contribute to the big-league bullpen full time as soon as next March. In turn, it can avoid spending big on a middle reliever this winter and focus on the club's biggest needs: rotation, catcher, and the right side of the infield. Bradgley Rodriguez's career history It doesn't take a spreadsheet to determine that Rodriguez has potential. His triple-digit fastball is all anyone needs to see. But if they need more proof, they can also gaze at his power changeup. Those two pitches earned him an early-season promotion from Double-A to the Show as a 21-year-old. The Venezuela native made his MLB debut on May 31 against the Pirates and pitched well (1 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, stranded both of his inherited runners). Three days later, the Padres optioned him to Triple-A El Paso to make room for right-hander Ryan Bergert. Prior to his call-up, Rodriguez was No. 9 in Padres Mission's ranking of the team's top prospects. The final sentence of the scouting report read: "His control is still a work in progress, but his high strikeout rate indicates significant upside as a power pitcher." When Rodriguez returned to San Diego in September, that upside shot way up. True, there were bumps, like the one he put on Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez's elbow with a 100 mph heater in New York. Rodriguez hit three batters total last season, with each pitch coming from his arm side, That's a sure sign of command issues. But there also was that wild game against the Brewers at Petco Park on the night of Sept. 22. Rodriguez entered in the 11th inning after the teams had traded runs in the 10th. He got three ground balls and, thanks to second baseman Jake Cronenworth, three outs in a scoreless frame. Minutes later, the Padres were walking off the Crew to clinch a playoff berth. Rodriguez was credited with his first MLB win. The outing was a showcase of the youngster's grit—he did not have an easy road to the majors. He had to fight to save his career as he missed the 2022 and 2023 seasons with elbow problems. Less than two years after returning to action, he was succeeding in a high-leverage role in a playoff race. Days later, Rodriguez was auditioning for the Padres' Wild Card Series roster. On the final weekend of the regular season, he made two relief appearances against the Diamondbacks. Each time, he was the first man out of the 'pen in the middle innings. He responded with five strikeouts and one walk over 2 1/3 scoreless frames. The Padres, of course, put him on the WCS roster, but he didn't appear in the three games against the Cubs. Despite that, Rodriguez carries all of that momentum into 2026. He's not your typical 22-year-old pitcher, at least in terms of résumé. Bradgley Rodriguez's statistics, outlook Rodriguez's final 2025 numbers for the Padres, small though they are, should leave everyone believing that he can be a difference-maker next year: Category Rodriguez Opponents' OPS .523 Strikeout percentage 29.0 Walk percentage 9.7* Average fastball velocity 98.3 Strike percentage 59.4 Ground ball rate 56.3 Inherited runners stranded 3 of 4 * Includes one intentional walk. Sources: MLB.com, Baseball Reference, Fangraphs The Padres' top four right-handed relievers heading into the Winter Meetings are Mason Miller, Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada and David Morgan. Adam, though, may begin next season on the injured list as he continues to rehab the quad tear he suffered Sept. 1. MLB.com reported last month that he is expected to resume throwing "in the coming weeks." After Rodriguez, the other righty options on the 40-man roster are: Jhony Brito: Missed all of last season recovering from an elbow brace procedure. Garrett Hawkins: Added to the 40-man last month to be protected from the Rule 5 draft. Bryan Hoeing: Optioned to Triple-A last July after making seven appearances for San Diego. Is more of a swingman/bulk reliever. Alex Jacob: Posted a 5.13 ERA in 33 1/3 innings but finished the season strong. Ron Marinaccio: Finished last season in the minors. Miguel Mendez: See Hawkins. The left side features Adrian Morejon (assuming he's not converted back into a starter), Wandy Peralta, Yuki Matsui and Kyle Hart (our Randy Holt recently did a deep dive into Hart's potential as a reliever). Figure three of those pitchers make the Opening Day bullpen—that would leave one open spot in an eight-man unit, although it's more likely to be two spots with Adam questionable. Rodriguez has a clear path to securing one of them. The Padres will add depth arms in the offseason, but with Rodriguez around, they shouldn't feel obligated to spend a few million or trade a prospect for a middle reliever. After all, they've already seen that he has the tools to do the job. View full article

The question might sound ridiculous, but it is justifiable given the subject's history: After three challenging minor league seasons, is Ethan Salas already a post-hype player? Before answering, we need to define "post-hype." The term refers to a highly regarded prospect who fails to excel in his initial long-term exposure to the major leagues. He's not a bust at that point, but he has passed a mile marker on the road to bust status. Salas is not a bust, mostly because he's not yet close to reaching the majors. But there are signs that he won't be a superstar right away when he is called up, either. How can a player with Salas' tools already be losing luster? Just go back to all the shine he received after signing with San Diego. Ethan Salas History In January 2023, the Friars shoved all-in to land Salas, who was the top-ranked prospect in his international free-agent class. They agreed to a reported $5.6 million bonus with the then-16-year-old catcher from Venezuela. The team's bonus pool in that signing period was $5.825 million. Salas was considered more than a worthy investment. He was a highly advanced player who came from a baseball family. In fact, he played professionally even before signing, appearing in a game for Zulia in the Venezuelan winter league in November 2022. He held his own, too, with two walks and no strikeouts in four plate appearances. Padres scouting director Chris Kemp told MLB.com's Sam Dykstra after the signing that Salas was "kind of the total-package catcher." Not long after that, an anonymous scout told the New York Post's Jon Heyman that Salas would be "a 10-year All-Star" in MLB. And, true to their organizational philosophy, the Padres didn't hesitate to put Salas on the fast track. It started in spring training when they had him catch a Yu Darvish bullpen session. That summer, they moved him all the way up to Double-A San Antonio. He spent two weeks there as a 17-year-old in August 2023. At that point, Salas was the newest member of a strong group of players to zoom through the Pads' system: PLAYER YEAR CLUB (LEVEL) AGE* NOTES Fernando Tatis Jr. 2017 San Antonio (AA) 19 Repeated Double-A in 2018, made Padres' Opening Day roster in 2019 Luis Campusano 2018 Fort Wayne (A) 19 Promoted to San Diego in 2020 C.J. Abrams 2021 San Antonio (AA) 20 Made Padres' Opening Day roster in 2022 Jackson Merrill 2023 San Antonio (AA) 20 Made Padres' Opening Day roster in 2024 Ethan Salas 2023 San Antonio (AA) 17 Began 2025 season in San Antonio As expected, Salas' defense was ahead of his offense that first year, but the kid was still considered a special talent. In 2024, Salas was assigned to High-A Fort Wayne. Again, the fielding was on point, but the hitting lagged. That had Padres concerned, so much so that in July they brought Salas to San Diego to work with the major league staff on his swing, according to MLB.com. Still, Salas did enough that year to earn a trip to both the Futures Game and the Arizona Fall League. His AFL numbers were OK: a .228/.327/.424 slash line and, more importantly, four homers in 107 PAs. Based on that performance, the Padres bumped Salas back up to San Antonio for the start of the '25 season. Would San Diego be his next stop? It would not. He appeared in just 10 games for the Missions before being diagnosed with a season-ending stress reaction in his back. Ethan Salas' Minor League Hitting Statistics YEAR CLUB PA OBP SLG OPS HR XBH ISO K% BB% 2023 Lake Elsinore 220 .350 .487 .837 9 22 .220 25.9 10.9 2023 Fort Wayne 37 .243 .229 .472 0 1 .029 27.0 5.4 2023 San Antonio 33 .303 .214 .517 0 1 .035 24.2 12.1 2024 Fort Wayne 469 .288 .311 .589 4 33 .105 20.9 10.0 2025 San Antonio 41 .325 .219 .544 0 1 .031 14.6 12.2 TOTALS 800 .305 .347 .652 13 58 .126 22.3 10.4 Ethan Salas Scouting Report Salas has the tools to be an impact big leaguer. MLB Pipeline listed his hit tool at 45 (on the 20-to-80 scale), his power tool at 50, his field tool at 70, and his arm tool at 60. Based on those scores and his three-true-outcomes stats, he profiles as a defensive stud with a good eye at the plate and power potential. He's listed at 6-1 and 185 pounds, but he's bound to add weight, and maybe height, in the next few years. He enters 2026 as No. 2 in Padres Mission's prospect rankings and No. 77 in MLB Pipeline's Top 100. That last number feels low given his talent. Ethan Salas Timetable Even though he barely played in 2025, Salas could still be rushed to the majors next year. The Padres' catching at the upper levels is that thin. Freddy Fermin, a deadline pickup last July, was the club's No. 1 receiver at the time of publication. He slashed .244/.278/.339 (70 OPS+) with two home runs in 139 plate appearances for San Diego. His backup, Luis Campusano --- a good example of a post-hype player --- spent much of last season at Triple-A El Paso. He's out of minor league options. If Salas stays healthy and shows enough progress early on, the president of baseball operations, A.J. Preller, could be tempted to promote him around midseason. For now, however, the Pads are taking things slowly. In mid-November, Preller told reporters (per the Union-Tribune) at the MLB general managers' meetings in Las Vegas that Salas has resumed baseball activities and is "looking 100 percent," but the organization is "kind of weighing" whether he should play winter ball or focus on getting ready for spring training. If Salas does skip winter ball and returns around Opening Day, he'll have missed close to a year of high-intensity reps. Even an aggressive club such as the Padres might have to practice some patience. And while Salas won't be a bust by that point, the hype train will be slowing down further. View full article