Monday, August 31

Three and a half years ago, shortly after the Padres signed Ethan Salas as the No. 1 player in the 2023 international class, they introduced the then-16-year-old catcher in a January news conference in the Petco Park clubhouse.

They never do that. But Salas, the Padres figured, was different. Scouting director Chris Kemp called him “the total package” and “the most interesting guy we’ve scouted.” They believed, at the time, that Salas’ path to the big leagues would be a fast one. It wasn’t a matter of “if” he’d arrive in San Diego. More a matter of “when.”

Since then, Salas’ trajectory has been anything but a straight line. He was promoted as quickly as any young prospect. He then endured significant struggles as one of the youngest players at the upper levels of the Minors. He missed nearly the entire 2025 season with a back injury.

But as quickly as Salas plummeted most prospect rankings, he’s ascended them again this season. He’s the Padres’ top prospect again and MLB Pipeline’s No. 23 overall. He mashed at Double-A. He’s mashing at Triple-A. He’s one of the best defensive catchers in the Minor Leagues.

So what’s next? The Padres might soon have an interesting decision on their hands.

The roster question

Rosters are set to expand to 28 players tomorrow. That means one additional position player added to the fold. The Padres have plenty of other options for that final spot.

Still, Salas is the most interesting of that group -- if only because of the implications and because he might legitimately be ready to make an impact. Even if Salas isn’t the callup when rosters expand tomorrow, there’s a case for him to join the club at some point down the stretch.

At the very least, it’s worth considering. The Padres could use a lefty bat on their bench, especially with recent injuries to Gavin Sheets and Luis Rengifo. They could also benefit from a third catcher on the roster, which could theoretically allow them to deploy Luis Campusano as a pinch-hitter more frequently.

Heck, there’s a case to make for Salas as a go-to pinch-hitting weapon. Salas is hitting .326 with a .952 OPS since his promotion to Triple-A. His swing decisions have been excellent. His quality of contact, too.

When the Padres face a righty starter, their options are suddenly thin. Dustin Harris and Sung-Mun Song both started Sunday’s game in Tampa Bay in place of Sheets and Rengifo. So, who’s the primary lefty-hitting weapon off the bench? Could Salas fill that role?

The downside

Salas is a supremely confident baseball player. For years, he’s been talking about his big league debut as though it’s a formality. Not in an arrogant way. Just in a way that seems to say: “I’ll be ready for it.”

But what if he isn’t? Salas was pushed hard in his first couple professional seasons. He struggled down the stretch in 2023, promoted to Double-A San Antonio as a 17-year-old for the postseason push. He then posted a .599 OPS in ’24 as one of the youngest players in the Midwest League.

Behind the plate, Salas is clearly advanced. But there’s just so much on a catcher’s plate at the big league level. (Then again, the Padres could ease that burden by using him mostly as a pinch-hitter/third catcher.)

Salas is clearly back on an upward trajectory right now. That wasn’t a foregone conclusion, even if the Padres steadfastly maintained he would. Isn’t there something to be said for not messing with what’s working? For letting Salas’ development to continue without rushing him?

The last player to catch a game in the big leagues at a younger age than Salas was Ivan Rodriguez for the 1991 Texas Rangers. The Padres have touted that type of ceiling for Salas. But there’s a reason so few catching prospects break through at that age.

So… what will the Padres do?

They’ll weigh the risk and the reward. Like they do with all of these decisions. Only … the stakes feel higher with Salas.

There are three important factors at play here:

1. Freddy Fermin and Campusano have formed an excellent catching tandem since the All-Star break. Entering Sunday, Padres catchers had posted a perfectly respectable .280/.356/.378 second-half slash line. If they were hitting like they did in the first half, this is a different story. If one of them were to get hurt (and suddenly you’re choosing between Salas and Rodolfo Durán) that’s another question.

2. Salas probably is the best lefty-hitting option in the upper level of the Padres’ Minor Leagues. But is he that much better than, say, Harris? Or is he a better option than calling up the versatile Gage Workman?

3. Calling up Salas starts his clock, both on the 40-man roster and for big league service time. (Though the Padres have proven on plenty of occasions under general manager A.J. Preller that they’re not going to let that affect their decision making.)

Verdict: Could Salas make this roster better? Yes. The benefit of adding him to the roster might be marginal. But it’s still a benefit. From there, it comes down to these two questions: Is Salas ready? And are you doing more harm than good by promoting him? For most of the year, I’ve thought Salas would finish the season at Triple-A. Then, he could contend for the starting-catcher job next season. But his recent surge, coupled with the Padres’ roster needs, is making me think twice about that.

Who is the only player to hit 40 home runs with both the Padres and Reds?

A. Mike Cameron

B. Ramón Hernández

C. Reggie Sanders

D. Greg Vaughn

This week marks the start of Fan Appreciation Month, which is scheduled for September as “a celebration of the club’s faithful fans highlighted by special offerings throughout the month.”

For the final 12 home games of the regular season, the Padres will offer season-ticket members credit toward food and drinks and access to unique experiences.

All fans in attendance are eligible to win prizes. Tickets to Fan Appreciation Month, which is presented by Motorola Razr, can be purchased at www.padres.com/tickets.

D. Vaughn

Vaughn hit 78 homers with the Padres from 1996-98, then was dealt to Cincinnati, where he went deep 45 times for the Reds.

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