The Padres are at a crossroads, and the next 11 days could decide whether A.J. Preller goes shopping or starts unloading pieces.
San Diego dropped to 50-53 after a loss to the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, leaving the club three games below .500 and 3.5 games out of the final National League wild card spot. That kind of position doesn’t exactly scream deadline buyer, especially with the Aug. 3 trade deadline closing fast.
Preller would still like to add, but the Padres have to earn that move. ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez reported that the expectation is Preller would be allowed to buy from a payroll standpoint, though the team first has to show enough life to justify it.
“Preller would still like to buy, and the expectation is he would be allowed to from a payroll standpoint -- but first, his team needs to give him a reason,” Gonzalez wrote Thursday.
That’s the heart of San Diego’s problem. The Padres are dealing with a league-worst offense and shaky starting pitching depth, which makes a buyer’s push harder to sell unless the team makes a real surge over the next few series. If they don’t, the conversation could flip quickly.
There’s also the reality of the market. Even if the Padres decide to buy, they may not have the prospect capital to chase the top starting pitchers available. That means any upgrade would likely come from the cheaper end of the pitching pool.
But if the Padres keep slipping, the more dramatic path becomes possible: moving bullpen arms instead of adding to the roster.
“If they don't make up serious ground over this next week and a half -- with series against the Marlins, Rockies and Giants -- Preller might start trading players from his dominant bullpen, with Mason Miller the clear headliner.”
Miller would be the name that stops everyone in their tracks. The All-Star closer is under team control for several more years, and the Padres have no real pressure to move him.
Still, if a contender comes with an offer that changes the math, San Diego could listen. That would be a jolt, considering the Padres gave up one of baseball’s best prospects to get Miller from the Athletics at last year’s deadline.
Adrian Morejon is another bullpen arm worth watching if the Padres signal they’re open for business. He’s 7-2 with one save, a 3.33 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP and 61 strikeouts against 13 walks in 47 games, covering 54 innings.
In Other News...
Padres Bullpen Shakeup Just Raised The Stakes For A Fringe Contender
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The bigger question now is how far that reshaping goes before the deadline. Reports have already put closer Mason Miller in the trade conversation, and the Padres are also weighing Griffin Cannings place on the roster, which leaves this fringe contender trying to balance urgency with uncertainty at the exact moment every bullpen decision feels magnified. [Read more 🡒]
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Padres Suddenly Linked To One Tigers Star Fans Feared Losing
The Padres are expected to spend the run-up to the August 3 trade deadline looking for help in the rotation, and that search has now produced a name that would instantly change the conversation. Tarik Skubal, the Tigers left-hander who has become one of the most coveted arms in the sport, has been linked as a possible target if Detroit decides to listen, giving San Diego a high-end option in a market where starting pitching always comes at a premium.
Detroits place in the playoff race is what makes the situation so tricky, because the Tigers are not operating like a club eager to sell. Even so, Skubals looming free agency keeps the door from shutting completely, and for the Padres the appeal is obvious: a chance to chase a frontline starter with impact now, even if the price would be steep and the fit far from simple. [Read more 🡒]