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Padres announced news on Ethan Salas
After a disappointing exit in the Wild Card Round, the San Diego Padres are ready to begin their 2026 season. After some big free-agents signings in years past, the Padres have had a more modest approach these past few seasons, which has seen the gap between the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers and them grow. So far, this offseason, the Padres have re-signed Michael King, signed outfielder Miguel Andújar and added Korean infielder Sung-Mun Song from the KBO.
Perhaps the Padres have lost more talent than they have gained as they saw Dylan Cease depart for the Blue Jays on a massive deal. First baseman Luis Arraez signed with the division-rival Giants on a one-year deal, and closer Robert Suarez signed with the Atlanta Braves. To make matters worse for Padres fans, the Dodgers have only kept adding talented players, as they signed the top free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker and closer Edwin Diaz.
If the Padres hope to be able to compete in the division, they will have to aim for development in their own organization. The team could look no further than top prospect Ethan Salas, on whom the team announced news.
San Diego Padres’ Ethan Salas Invited to Big-League Camp
The Padres invited 28 non-roster participants to big-league camp, and no one is more intriguing than top catching prospect Ethan Salas. Since being the eighth highest-rated prospect by MLB.com in 2024, Salas has since gone downhill as he no longer appears on their top 100 prospects of 2026. Regardless, the Padres catcher is still only 19 years old and has plenty of time to turn that around.
He still appears in Baseball America’s top 100 prospects, as he’s ranked as the No. 90 prospect. He was previously the No. 6 prospect in baseball. Injuries and lack of hitting results have caused him to slip in prospect rankings. He appeared in just 10 games in Double-A last year for the San Antonio Missions as he hit .188 with a .544 OPS. A stress reaction in his lower back prematurely ended his season.
In three seasons of minor league play, the former top-10 prospect has struggled hitting. In 189 games, he’s hit .221 with a .652 OPS. However, his defense has been the primary reason why he has drawn rave reviews from within the organization. The Padres will hope his defensive skills were not affected by his back injury in 2025.
Padres Spring Training
The San Diego Tribune revealed the rest of the non-roster participants. They are:
C (4): Rodolfo Durán, Blake Hunt, Ethan Salas, Anthony Vilar, INF (4): Francisco Acuña, Marcos Castañon, Jose Miranda, Romeo Sanabria, INF/OF (4): Clay Dungan, Pablo Reyes, Nick Solak, Samad Taylor, OF (3): Jase Bowen, Carlos RodrÃguez, Nick Schnell, RHP (8): Sean Boyle, Manuel Castro, Evan Fitterer, Logan Gillaspie, Triston McKenzie, Francis Peña, Ethan Routzahn, Justin Yeager, LHP (5): Omar Cruz, Marco Gonzales, Jagger Haynes, Ryan Och, Jackson Wolf.
The team will kick off Spring Training on February 20, against the Seattle Mariners. Opening day will come against the Detroit Tigers on March 26, at Petco Park.
Jose Esquer Jose Esquer is a Mexican-American sportswriter and communications student based in San Diego, CA. His work spans football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He has written for platforms like RotoWire and DolphinsTalk. You can find him on Twitter/X @JEsquer8, usually talking Dolphins, world football, or both. More about Jose Esquer
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