Why Padres' sale of team could lead to a Fernando Tatis Jr. trade

The San Diego Padres are heading into a busy winter. After Mike Shildt's surprise retirement and Craig Stammen's surprise hiring, there's bound to be a lot more change this winter.

One of the biggest decisions from the Padres wasn't a trade or a signing; it was the announcement that the Seidlers have put the Padres up for sale. While it might not impact the team in the short term a lot, the long-term implications could be huge.

As Bob Nightengale of USA Today highlights, if the Padres complete a sale, then the future of Fernando Tatis Jr. might not be certain. He's going to be on the roster for 2026, but 2027 might be a different story.

Why Padres could trade Fernando Tatis Jr. after sale of the franchise

"The San Diego Padres, who announced Thursday they are up for sale, won't trade All-Star right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. now, but go ahead and check back with their new ownership a year from now." Nightengale writes.

A new ownership group could decide to cut payroll at the beginning of its tenure, especially if the team doesn't perform up to a playoff level. While Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts would be tough players to trade, Tatis would have a robust market.

Rarely does a right-handed hitting outfielder with Gold Glove defense and elite hitting become available. If Tatis were actually up for trade, teams would be clamoring to land the All-Star right fielder.

More: Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. wins second Gold Glove award

San Diego could land a massive return for Tatis, and while it would be an unpopular move from the new ownership group, they could kick off a huge rebuild by landing a huge return for a player like Tatis.

He's signed through 2034 on a massive $340 million deal, and if a top contender is willing to part with top prospects for Tatis, then San Diego might be able to justify sending him away.

For now, Tatis isn't going anywhere. But, as Nightengale reports, Tatis could get traded once the new ownership takes over. There's no guarantee, but it's something worth monitoring once a sale of the Padres is completed.

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• Padres star Yu Darvish out for 2026 after elbow repair and internal brace
• Padres All-Star closer Robert Suarez makes huge $16 million decision
• Padres deemed potential fit to steal Phillies star in free agency