MLB Trade Rumors: Padres 'Still Conflicted' on Deadline amid Soto, Snell, Hader Buzz

The San Diego Padres are in the midst of a disappointing 50-54 season that currently has the 2022 National League runners-up sitting five games behind the last spot in the National League Wild Card race.

That begs the question about whether San Diego, which entered this season with every intent to go all-in for a World Series title, will be a buyer or seller at the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and The Athletic spoke about that topic with FOX Sports' Chris Myers on Saturday (1:20 mark) and mentioned star outfielder Juan Soto and pitchers Blake Snell and Josh Hader along the way.

"Chris, I don't know that they know right now, and if you talk to other teams, and what they'll tell you is that the Padres are still conflicted, still trying to figure out what to do. They have not decided whether to buy, sell or do both.

"The next two games against the Rangers could perhaps sway them one way or the other.

"Soto is less likely to go, he has another year of control. Snell and Hader, yes, you could trade them, but at that point, you'd effectively be conceding your season, and you're drawing almost 41,000 a game, you've invested so much in this season. They seem, the Padres do, a lot more reluctant than the Mets to simply call it a day."

San Diego is home for two games against the AL West-leading Texas Rangers before heading to Denver to face the Colorado Rockies prior to the deadline.

The Padres aren't out of the playoff race by any means, and FanGraphs currently gives them a 29.2 percent chance to make the postseason.

But that leaves the Padres in a tough spot right now considering that Snell and Hader are both free agents after this season. The worst-case scenario is hanging onto both players, missing the playoffs entirely and losing both this offseason. San Diego could simply trade both players and at least get something in return with an eye toward 2024 and beyond.

On the flip side, trading both players could feel like calling it quits on this season too early, especially considering the fact that San Diego has 58 games left to go for it. The Padres made waves last year as a No. 5 seed in the MLB playoffs, and sneaking in this year could be the start of another deep postseason run.

As it stands right now, Snell has an NL-best 2.61 ERA among starters, while Hader has a 0.95 ERA and 24 saves. The Padres clearly need both on the roster to give themselves an honest chance at competing this year, so it's a matter of whether San Diego decides to try to salvage anything they can this season or focus on the future.

Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, several teams believe the two pitchers will be traded. We'll find out soon enough with the deadline just three days away.