No. 1 Padres Prospect Ethan Salas 'Not Considered Untouchable'

Could the San Diego Padres move their No. 1 prospect at the trade deadline for the second year in a row?

According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, shipping out catcher Ethan Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect who is considered a top-50 prospect in all of baseball, is on the table for president of baseball operations A.J. Preller as the Padres have climbed back into contender status.

We should be clear, though. The following line from Acee's article appeared as the third-to-last paragraph and no more insight was involved:

"That could require moving top prospect Ethan Salas, who is not considered untouchable," Acee wrote.

That was a follow-up to Acee describing how Preller and the Padres are approaching this year's trade deadline—in the same fashion they have the last two years, not trying to take on money while adding talent to the major-league roster.

Salas has regained a lot of the prospect status he lost by missing all but 10 games last year due to a stress reaction in his lower back. Salas enters the week with a .285/.359/.418 slash line, hitting seven homers and driving in 37 while stealing 14 bases in 71 games. He was selected to his second Futures Game in three years.

Salas is the only true blue-chip player in the Padres' system, which is at the bottom of every major ranking, a year after the Padres traded away No. 1 prospect Leo De Vries in the blockbuster deadline deal to get Mason Miller and JP Sears. Another blockbuster would have to be on the table to deal Salas.