Padres' Preller: Tatis untouchable in trade talks

San Diego Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller confirmed that his team has no interest in trading star outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr.

"He's somebody that we're not talking about," Preller said when asked at the winter meeting if Tatis is an untouchable player, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. "However you want to say that; if you want to say that's 'untouchable,' you can say that."

Preller's comments poured cold water on the idea Tatis could be dealt after there were rumblings this week the Padres were working on something big on the trade market. The three-time All-Star's name was also floated in trade rumors in November because his lucrative long-term contract is viewed by some as the only one that San Diego could potentially move for a valuable return.

"There's a bunch of guys on our roster that we're not looking to have conversations about," Preller added. "… If somebody wants to say, 'Hey, would you do this?' You're not gonna just, like, cover your ears and hang up the phone immediately. But I've seen the reports on Tatis and things like that. He's one of the best players in baseball, is a two-time Platinum (Glove) winner. The guy has taken over portions of seasons and games and playoff series and everything like that.

"I think for us to get to where we want to get to, we need Fernando. We think he can be an A-lane, MVP, whatever kind of category you want to put on it. He can be that type of player. … Every one of the different versions and iterations of the team and roster we put up there, it’s 'Tati' right in the middle. Hopefully, he is one of the top players on our team this year."

Tatis hit 25 homers with 71 RBIs, 32 stolen bases, and an .814 OPS over a career-high 155 games in 2025. The 26-year-old is still owed over $290 million through 2034.