After a disastrous week of baseball, it may be time for the San Diego Padres to think about selling this trade season.

Coming into 2026, hopes were high for a productive San Diego Padres season.

With a little more than half the season played, the Padres are floundering in the water and in danger of losing the whole season.

After an embarrassing sweep by the Cubs and blowing a six-run lead against the Dodgers, the team is in disarray. Trade season is here, and the Padres are quickly moving from buyers to sellers. A.J. Preller is not one to throw in the towel, but inevitability is creeping in to San Diego.

At this point, the Padres’ starting pitching is failing. The offensive production from the group is also an issue, but there are signs that the unit is returning to form.  For the Padres, this is a horrible recipe. The team is built to get an early lead and hold on with one of the best bullpens in the league. Presently, they are playing behind early and showing few signs of coming back in the game.

It is a disaster. And painful to watch.

The Padres possess roughly 3-4 weeks to show signs of life. If they continue this downward trend, then expect Preller and the Padres to entertain offers on all players who are pending free agents. Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam, Ty France, and Miguel Andujar should be in demand to some extent. The team may also entertain offers on Mason Miller. Anything is possible.

Pump the brakes, though. We are not at that point yet.

A winning streak would put the Padres back into the playoff race. I know it doesn’t seem likely, but this is baseball. Truly, anything can happen.

If the Padres can attain some decent starting pitching. Either in-house or by making a trade, they can make it through the storm. This team is built to win now. There is no doubt that they can right the ship and turn things around in 2026. But it is baseball, and it is difficult to predict.

With a new ownership group coming in, the Padres wanted to provide a playoff run for the fans. That may not happen. These next few weeks will be crucial in determining if the Padres buy or sell during the trade deadline. They could also make a few sideways moves in trading off pending free agents while acquiring men to replace them at the cost of prospects. Preller is unique. He thinks outside the box.

For now, we will wait and see how motivated this team is to succeed in 2026.

The ball is in their court. The players will dictate if the team moves forward or if they change gears and bring in new faces in search of production.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. James has written about the Padres and their prospects for over a decade. He also writes about San Diego State as well as other local sports. James is the Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.