MLB Rumors: Padres to Be 'Aggressive' at Trade Deadline amid Soto, Snell, Hader Buzz

The San Diego Padres have been one of the biggest disappointments in baseball, limping to a 43-47 start this season despite having one of the most star-studded rosters in the sport.

And that has executives around baseball torn on how the team should handle the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, "Rival GMs believe the Padres should unload starter Blake Snell and All-Star closer Josh Hader among others at the deadline, while also listening to offers for Juan Soto. Yet, two GMs were informed that the Padres instead plan to be aggressive at the trade deadline and possibly even be buyers."

Trading Soto would earn the Padres the biggest return, though it would also represent a punt on not only the 2023 season, but also a change in direction for the team's future.

The 24-year-old is having a solid season among San Diego's struggles, hitting .265 with 15 homers, 47 RBI, 51 runs and a .898 OPS. It's hard to fault the two-time All-Star for the team's overall issues, and it's hard to imagine the Padres giving up so soon on one of the game's young superstars.

But it's also shocking that a team featuring Soto, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatís Jr. and Xander Bogaerts, among others, currently isn't playing .500 baseball.

Snell, 30, is a one-time Cy Young winner and one-time All-Star. He's pitched well, going 6-7 with a 2.85 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 132 strikeouts in 98 innings and 18 starts. He's been a reliable option for the Padres every five games.

Hader, 29, has 21 saves in 24 opportunities, a 1.08 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 50 strikeouts in 33.1 innings. The four-time All-Star has done his job when called upon.

So what has gone wrong in San Diego?

The main issue seems to be that the bats seem to disappear in crunch time despite a huge amount of resources dedicated to that aforementioned star-studded lineup.

As Nightengale wrote, the Padres are "1-36 when trailing after seven innings. They have failed to win a single extra-inning game, and are 5-15 in one-run games. They're hitting .222 with runners in scoring position. They have squandered their league-leading 39 quality starts, going just 27-20 when their starters go six innings."

If the Padres get hot, they could go on another deep October run. But that will require their hitters producing in the clutch. To this point, that simply hasn't been the case.