Why Padres should not give up on Fernando Tatis Jr. yet

The 26-year-old Tatis Jr. is coming off a bit of an up-and-down 2025 campaign, though he still managed to finish with a .268 average, 25 HRs and 71 RBI in 155 games. As Nightengale referenced, he will be entering year six of the 14-year, $340M extension he inked with the Padres back in 2021.

Padres need to keep Fernando Tatis Jr.

Trade rumors are nothing new for Tatis Jr., who has found himself in these discussions several times before.

Off-the-field issues, durability concerns and sometimes inconsistent play have all factored into that, though the three-time All-Star seems to have put most of the bad behind him in recent years. While he hasn’t lived up to his massive 42-HR, 97-RBI 2021 season, Tatis Jr. clearly has it in him to produce not only at the plate but also in the outfield, as he just won the Platinum Glove for the NL.

Having entered the league as a shortstop, it’s quite impressive to see the work he’s put in switching positions to become one of the better defensive players in baseball in just a few years. There’s a reason almost every opposing fanbase in MLB gets excited to hear his name in trade talks; it’s because he’s one of the most talented players in the game who still hasn’t even reached his full potential.

Nightengale mentioned the contract is viewed as rather reasonable, so why would it need to be moved? If San Diego is looking to shed salary, it’s pretty clear it should be looking elsewhere, not at its borderline best player just entering his prime. 

The Padres should be building around Tatis Jr., along with center fielder Jackson Merill, and unless something is going on behind the scenes that we aren’t privy to, the thought of moving him truly doesn’t make sense.