Why Padres are ‘trending towards selling’ per Ken Rosenthal

The San Diego Padres are not having the greatest season in 2026. At the same time, they are not entirely out of the postseason picture. The Friars enter play on Tuesday sitting just two-and-a-half games back of the final NL Wild Card spot. This could force some tough decisions ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

Teams will need to decide whether they are pushing for the postseason or selling off. All it takes to have a shot at the World Series is to make the postseason. But is the risk of a one-and-done playoff trip worth trading future assets for immediate help? For the Padres, it may not be worth it.

“(San Diego) is trending toward selling… Their offense just hasn’t been good enough. Their rotation is still full of questions. Maybe they get (Nick Pivetta) and (Joe Musgrove) back and its a different look. But it’s tough to see,” MLB insider Ken Rosenthal said of their outlook on a recent episode of Foul Territory.

The Padres have played some good baseball as of late. They have won two of their last three series and have avoided stringing together any more than two losses in a row. Unfortunately, they are still under .500, entering Tuesday night with a 49-51 record.

San Diego has some potential trade candidates to put on the market should it come to it. The main trade candidate drawing attention is closer Mason Miller. The Padres paid big to acquire Miller from the Athletics at the MLB Trade Deadline last season. Should they sell, he would be among the biggest names on the market, regardless of position.