The crazy list of prospects — and eventual stars — Padres GM A.J. Preller has traded

New York Post

2 days ago

The Padres were one of the most aggressive buyers in the 2025 MLB trade deadline.
They added seven MLB players to their roster Thursday, including star reliever Mason Miller and slugging lefty Ryan O'Hearn.
10 Padres GM A.J Preller.
USA TODAY Sports
But to get names like those, the Padres had to give away players from their farm system — something the team hasn't been shy about over the past few years.
Here is a list of some of the prospects that general manager A.J. Preller traded away in his tenure as Padres general manager.
Leo De Vries
10 Leo De Vries at the All-Star Future Game
Getty Images
The crown jewel in the trade with the A's for Miller and starter J.P. Sears was the highest-ranked prospect traded at the deadline. According to MLB.com Pipeline, De Vries — shortstop — ranks as the third-best prospect in the league.
In High-A ball, De Vries has a slash line of .245/.354/.408. He is also a switch-hitter and is regarded as a good fielder and baserunner. He is only 18 years old, so there is still a lot more time to develop before his arrival in the big leagues.
Trea Turner
10 Trea Turner of the Philadelphia Phillies high-fives teammates in the dugout after a run in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox.
Getty Images
Turner was involved in a three-team trade in 2014 that sent him to the Nationals for 2013 American League Rookie of the Year Wil Myers.
At the time of the trade, Turner was the fifth-best prospect in San Diego.
Today, Turner is a three-time All-Star playing in Philadelphia. He helped the Nationals win the World Series in 2019.
James Wood
10 Washington Nationals James Wood after striking out.
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
James Wood was the lowest-ranked piece in the trade deadline deal for Juan Soto in 2022. But it turns out that rankings don't always mean everything. At just 22, Wood is now arguably one of the best players on the Nationals today and was selected as an All-Star this year. He has 24 homers and 71 RBIs entering Friday.
MacKenzie Gore
10 Washington Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore
AP
Gore was also a part of the Soto trade in 2022. This year, with the Nationals, he has the seventh-most strikeouts in MLB with 148.
He also holds an ERA of 3.80 that earned him his first All-Star nod this year.
CJ Abrams
10 Washington Nationals' CJ Abrams walking off the field after striking out.
AP
Another piece acquired in the Soto deal, Abrams has become the everyday shortstop for the Nationals. He was an All-Star in 2024, and this season he has a .275 average, 14 home runs, and an .817 OPS.
Max Fried
10 New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Fried was traded to the Braves in 2014 for Justin Upton. At the time, Fried was a top-50 prospect in MLB, but was recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Today, the three-time All-Star is pitching with the Yankees and is a likely Cy Young candidate. Before wearing the pinstripes, Fried was a two-time All-Star and a World Series winner in 2021 with the Braves.
Andres Munoz
10 Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Andres Munoz on the mound.
AP
Munoz was part of a trade that sent Austin Adams, Dan Altavilla and Austin Nola to San Diego from Seattle.
Today, Munoz is considered one of the best closers in the league. The two-time All-Star with an ERA of 1.32 and 24 saves.
Emmanuel Clase
10 Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase
Denny Medley-Imagn Images
In 2018, the Padres made a small trade with the Rangers to receive Brett Nicholas for Emmanuel Clase, who is on non-disciplinary paid leave by MLB as part of a gambling investigation.
Before this, though, Clase has been one of the best relievers in the game. He was an All-Star from 2022 to 2024, and in each of those years, he was the leader in saves in the American League.
Josh Naylor
10 Josh Naylor
AP
Naylor — along with pitcher Luis Castillo — was acquired from the Marlins in 2016 for Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea. However, Castillo was just a Padre for two days as an injury to Rea forced him back to the Marlins.
Naylor, however, was traded away to the Guardians in 2020 for Mike Clevinger and Greg Allen. Naylor was an All-Star in 2024 and was traded to the Mariners by the Diamondbacks before the 2025 trade deadline.