Feb 23, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Ethan Salas (90) looks on against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
San Diego, California – As the trade deadline creeps closer and contenders separate themselves from the pack, the San Diego Padres find themselves in a familiar but urgent position—balancing a win-now mindset with the long-term integrity of the farm system. That tension has surfaced again, this time in the form of 19-year-old catcher Ethan Salas, the Padres’ No. 2 prospect and a name that’s reportedly drawing serious interest from the Tampa Bay Rays.
According to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, Salas is among several young backstops the Rays are eyeing to patch up one of their weakest spots. Tampa Bay’s revolving door at catcher this season has included Danny Jansen, who’s hitting just under .200, and Ben Rortvedt, who management sent to Triple-A after barely hitting at all. Their latest move—trading for Matt Thaiss from the White Sox—has done little to solve the issue. Through seven games, Thaiss is 4-for-18 without an extra-base hit.
Salas, meanwhile, brings the one thing Tampa Bay lacks: upside. Though his numbers at Double-A San Antonio this season don’t jump off the page—he’s hitting just .188 through 10 games and remains on the injured list since April—the former top international prospect has the pedigree and tools that made him a fast riser in 2023. He leaped from Single-A to Double-A at just 17 years old, a rare trajectory for a catcher.
But here’s the rub for San Diego fans: Salas may be the catcher of the future, but the Padres have very real holes in the present—most notably in left field—and are trying to keep pace in a tight NL West race with the Dodgers and Giants. As of this week, San Diego sits just two games back. General manager A.J. Preller is unlikely to let this season slip without a fight.
Does that mean Salas is on the block? Hard to say. He’s still ranked No. 26 in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline and remains a cornerstone of San Diego’s long-term vision. Any deal involving Salas would require a significant return—certainly more than Tampa Bay’s current left field platoon could offer. Christopher Morel, despite his athleticism and power potential, would not be enough on his own.
Still, the Rays are desperate, and the Padres are aggressive. If Tampa Bay puts together a package that meaningfully addresses San Diego’s win-now gaps, the front office may at least be willing to listen.
Trading Salas would sting—but if it gets the Padres back to October baseball with a legitimate shot, then the math may be mathing.
