MLB Rumors: Teams Believe Padres' Blake Snell, Josh Hader Will Be Traded by Deadline

It appears the struggling San Diego Padres could be sellers ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

Several teams believe starting pitcher Blake Snell and closer Josh Hader will be moved in the coming days, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

The Padres entered the 2023 season expected to be World Series contenders with a star-laden roster that reached the National League Championship Series in 2022.

However, San Diego currently sits fourth in the NL West with a 49-54 record and is 6.5 games out of a wild card spot in part due to injuries and poor performance. Now they face the question of whether to be buyers or sellers leading up to the deadline.

Snell and Hader are perhaps the most tradable assets the Padres have to offer.

Snell, who is owed $16.6 million this year, is set to become a free agent after the 2023 campaign and will be due a sizable contract extension in 2024, and it's unclear if San Diego is open to paying him given future luxury tax implications.

The Padres currently have the third-highest payroll in baseball with an estimated luxury tax bill worth nearly $25 million, according to Spotrac, and they sit just below the third tax threshold.

Hader, a three-time Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year winner, is also in the final year of his contract and should receive more than the $14.1 million he's owed this year on his next contract as one of the best closers in baseball.

Snell is in the midst of a solid 2023 season and would be a welcomed addition to any title contender. He's 7-8 with a 2.61 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 147 strikeouts in 114 innings across 21 starts.

The same can be said for Hader, who has posted a 0.95 ERA, 0.947 WHIP, 58 strikeouts and 24 saves in 38 innings across 40 appearances.

It's unclear which teams might be interested in adding either pitcher, though the Boston Red Sox have been vocal about wanting to add pitching ahead of the deadline. Boston doesn't need a closer, however, as it already has Kenley Jansen.