Padres should find out the trade value of Josh Hader, Blake Snell and Juan Soto before today’s trade deadline.
According to Jon Heyman on Twitter, “opposing team that recently engaged on Josh Hader suggested the Padres are pricing him high enough to believe the star closer is almost surely staying. The unpredictable Padres aren’t saying officially.”
Opposing team that recently engaged on Josh Hader suggested the Padres are pricing him high enough to believe the star closer is almost surely staying. The unpredictable Padres aren’t saying officially.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 1, 2023
The team ought to retain Blake Snell and Josh Hader through today’s trade deadline — absent an offer that blows them into San Diego Bay — and try to leapfrog several teams to claim the league’s third wild card.
Even if the Padres were to fall short of the third wild card, there’s value in having this group of players try to grind out a playoff berth over the final two months.
Of course, Snell and Hader may not be part of next year’s push, as they’re eligible for free agency in November. There’s a case for trading them now.
The Padres have hedged the workloads of each lefty. Hader has thrown just 40 innings, placing him 22nd of the 29 pitchers who have 10-plus saves this season. Snell’s innings total stands 32nd, though his high pitch counts are a factor.
If upgrades can be added to an improving but still deficient supporting group, a challenge for the sixth spot in the 15-team National League isn’t wildly implausible.
