The San Diego Padres, amid the surprise departure of Mike Shildt and the looming sale of the club, are looking to maneuver their contracts this winter.
That could involve trading Jake Cronenworth or Nick Pivetta, but Fernando Tatis Jr. Also got mentioned in such trade speculation this offseason.
However, Joel Sherman on MLB Network shared a firm update on Tatis trade rumors that is a sigh of relief for Padres fans worried about Tatis being traded.
Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. Is not going anywhere
"I believe strongly the Padres are not trading Fernando Tatis Jr," Sherman said. "They want to continue to try and go for it. They want to find a couple of starting pitchers in this marketplace... But they're a team that wants to win, and A.J. Preller loves this player."
.@Joelsherman1 reports he “strongly” believes the Padres will NOT trade Fernando Tatis Jr. This offseason.#MLBNHotStove | @CohnReznick pic.twitter.com/5Gnf2RLsAQ
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 8, 2025
Sherman's report is a firm indication that Tatis is going nowhere this winter. While there has been trade speculation with Tatis amid the Padres' planned cuts to payroll, Tatis isn't going anywhere.
Trading him would make some sense from the perspective of replenishing the farm system depleted by the trades made at the 2025 MLB trade deadline. But moving on from Tatis would drastically hurt the Padres' chances to contend in 2026.
He's going to be 27 years old in 2026, and the three-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove and Platinum Glove winner is a player a team can't easily trade, regardless of the offers on the table.
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Tatis is under contract through 2034 on a $340 million deal, and is a player the Padres, if they're looking to contend, should have zero intention of trading.
This past season, he had a.268 batting average with an.814 OPS in an overall quality season. While he's yet to reach the heights of his 2021 season in the years since, Tatis has been one of the best young players in MLB since his 2019 rookie season.
Padres fans can breathe a sigh of relief, as this report from Sherman all but confirms that San Diego will see Tatis in a Padres uniform for at least one more year.
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