AJ Preller has never been shy about moving premium talent, and the Padres’ recent draft history shows just how aggressive that approach has been. Since taking over in August 2014, Preller has used first-rounders as trade currency over and over again, turning the organization’s draft board into a revolving door.
With San Diego holding the 21st overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the familiar question is back: how long will the next first-rounder last in a Padres uniform? Ahead of this weekend’s draft, the answer to the bigger-picture question is already clear.
Preller has selected 12 players in the first round since 2015, and nine of them have already been traded. Seven straight first-round picks were dealt from 2016 through 2020 before Jackson Merrill arrived at No. 27 in 2021.
Some of those moves were unavoidable. Others still sting.
The most painful loss is probably CJ Abrams, the No. 6 pick in 2019. He spent 3 years, 2 months in the Padres organization and appeared in 46 games before being sent out in the 2022 Juan Soto trade. Abrams is now a two-time All-Star with four straight seasons of at least a 3.0 bWAR for the Nationals, including this season.
MacKenzie Gore, the No. 3 pick in 2017, followed a similar path. He logged 5 years, 2 months in the Padres system and pitched in one big league season for San Diego before being included with Abrams in the Soto deal. Gore, now with the Rangers, has a 9.9 career K/9 in five MLB seasons and earned his first All-Star nod in 2025 as a National.
Eric Lauer came next in the sequence of first-round exits. Drafted 25th overall in 2016, he spent 3 years, 5 months with the organization and made his first two MLB starts with San Diego, posting a 4.40 overall ERA there.
Since then, he has bounced to the Brewers, Blue Jays and Dodgers. He put up a 138 ERA+ with Toronto last year, and this season he has a 3.12 ERA in seven outings and 40.1 innings with Los Angeles.
Cal Quantrill, another 2016 first-rounder, was the 8th overall pick. He was in the Padres system for 4 years, 2 months before carving out a career as a steady middle-of-the-rotation arm for the Padres, Guardians, Rockies, Marlins, Braves and Rangers. With Texas this season, he has worked more out of the bullpen and is 3-1 with a 115 ERA+.
Ryan Weathers, selected 7th overall in 2018, was dealt in 2023 for Garrett Cooper, a rental, and Sean Reynolds. He spent 5 years, 2 months with San Diego and carried a 70 ERA+ in two-and-a-half seasons there.
Since leaving, he has been better. With the Marlins, he posted a 106 ERA+ in 138 innings before being traded to the Yankees for the 2026 season.
He is starting in the Bronx and has a K/9 over 10 this year.
Robert Hassell III, the 8th overall pick in 2020, lasted 2 years, 2 months in the Padres organization before going out in the Soto trade in 2022. He debuted in the majors with the Nationals in 2025, driving in 18 runs over 70 games. This year, though, he has struggled in Triple-A, hitting .215 with 67 strikeouts in 63 games.
More recent names have also been moved. Dillon Head, the 25th overall pick in 2023, was part of the 2024 Luis Arraez trade after spending 2 years, 10 months in the system. He is still in the Marlins’ organization and is now with High-A Beloit, where the 21-year-old is batting .256 with 27 stolen bases in 51 games.
Dylan Lesko, taken 15th overall in 2022, was included in the 2024 Jason Adam trade after 2 years with San Diego. In his fourth pro season, the 22-year-old is 3-20 with a 6.59 ERA. He has been better in 2026 with Single-A Charleston, where he has held opponents to a .145 batting average out of the bullpen.
The list starts with Hudson Potts, formerly known as Hudson Sanchez. He never reached the majors, and his final pro season came in 2023 with two minor league teams in the Braves’ system. Across seven minor league seasons, he hit .239.
In Other News...
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For the Padres, it is a small transaction on paper but one that still trims a layer of organizational depth at a time when those pieces can matter. Reyes had been productive at El Paso, and the Angels created an opening by cutting Donovan Walton, but San Diego is left to watch another experienced option move on just as the roster starts to thin behind the big league club. [Read more 🡒]
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Robert Hassell IIIs path has taken another sharp turn, with Washington designating the former Padres outfield prospect for assignment and clearing him from the 40-man roster. The move puts him in a short window where the Nationals must decide whether to trade him, try to pass him through outright waivers or move on entirely, a notable development for a player who once carried real prospect buzz and was expected to be part of a much bigger future.
The timing makes the situation even more uneasy because Washington is still chasing a playoff spot, yet Hassells production has slipped at Triple-A Rochester. He has struggled to get much going there, and the uncertainty now hanging over his status raises a familiar question for Padres fans who remember his rise: whether a once-promising name could end up back in an organization that knows him well. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Musgrove Just Gave Padres Fans A Reason To Hope Again
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There is still no firm timetable for his return, but the club is hopeful he can rejoin the team sometime in August if the rehab keeps moving in the right direction. Before that happens, Musgrove will need more bullpen work and a stretch of rehab assignments, so the path back is still in progress even as the first real signs of momentum are finally showing up. [Read more 🡒]