In a way, boasting top prospects has been a priority for the San Diego Padres in recent years. It hasn't quite been to watch them play at a major league level in Petco Park, however. Instead, the Padres have become masters at developing their top prospects and showing them off enough to include them in trades that bring MLB stars back to San Diego.
That strategy has worked for general manager A.J. Preller and the Padres, who just enjoyed their third consecutive season with at least 90 wins. San Diego is in the midst of their most successful era in franchise history, reaching the postseason in five of the last seven seasons. As previously mentioned, however, there is a price to pay for that.
It explains why the Padres have just one representative on Bleacher Report's latest Top 100 prospect ranking. Of course, that player is catcher Ethan Salas, who was ranked No. 13.
Despite the many trades over the years in which San Diego has opted for MLB-ready players over prospects, Salas has remained untouched, showing an immense belief in him coming from the higher-ups at the club – and for good reason.
The Padres signed Salas at just 16 years old for a record-setting $5.6 million back in 20...