Will Fernando Tatis Jr. Be Traded? MLB Insider Explains Why It May Be 'Fantasy'

The San Diego Padres are facing a bit of a financial crunch this winter, leading to speculation about whether the team might consider dealing Fernando Tatís Jr. to add assets and payroll flexibility.

On an appearance of Foul Territory, however, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal expressed doubts that the Padres would make such a move:

"Would the Padres even trade Tatís? They are in much more of a financial bind than they've been in past years. They don't have as much flexibility and they have to address their pitching, with Cease and King free agents and Robert Suárez as well," he said. "Would they trade Tatís? New York Yankees fans I think have been fantasizing about this too... It seems to me right now it's more fantasy than reality. Tatís is a beloved player in San Diego. He's still young, he's still highly productive. He's been a bit more inconsistent than you'd want, I get it, but man, I have a hard time seeing them [trading him]."

Rosenthal added that if a team would take on another big contract alongside the remainder of Tatís' 140-year, $340 million pact, it could open up the possibility of a deal. But he seemed skeptical of the Padres moving on from the young star.

The 26-year-old hit .268 with 25 homers, 71 RBI, 111 runs, 32 stolen bases and a .814 OPS in 2025. Plenty of teams would love to have him, but by that same logic, the Padres—who have already reportedly said he isn't going anywhere—would surely love to keep him.