Key Highlights

• The Padres have been relatively quiet but remain active in the market for starting and relief pitching.
• A.J. Preller’s focus is on acquiring another starter and potentially a reliever to bolster the roster.
• Key players like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Joe Musgrove are expected to return soon, which is seen as a boost akin to high-profile trades.
• The top four prospects in the Padres’ system are highly valued, with Ethan Salas being off-limits for trade discussions.

(NicePlay Sports) – As the MLB trade deadline looms, the San Diego Padres find themselves in a delicate yet promising position. With a robust prospect pool and recent strategic acquisitions, A.J. Preller appears ready to navigate the complexities of the market, aiming to keep the team’s playoff aspirations alive. The Padres, historically known for their aggressive trade strategies, have remained relatively quiet this season, but insiders suggest this calm may precede a storm of significant maneuvers. The critical focus is on securing a starting pitcher to ensure the team’s current playoff position doesn’t slip away, reminiscent of their 2021 downfall. Adding depth to their bullpen remains a priority, with Preller and his team evaluating various options that could solidify their pitching staff. The return of key players like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Joe Musgrove is highly anticipated, offering a substantial boost akin to blockbuster trades. The Padres’ top prospects, notably Ethan Salas, Robby Snelling, Dylan Lesko, and Leodalis De Vries, hold significant trade value, though the organization is reluctant to part with them, especially when their current performance is underwhelming. With a competitive National League landscape and multiple teams vying for top pitching talent, the Padres’ strategy in the next few hours will be crucial. Preller’s ability to navigate these negotiations will be pivotal to the team’s success this season.

Trade Deadline Dynamics and Padres’ Strategic Moves

The eve of the trade deadline saw a slew of contenders in both leagues make deals. But not the Padres. They remained quietly on the prowl Monday. The Padres made a move on Sunday, acquiring reliever Jason Adam. And they actually made two relative blockbusters before anyone else, getting their lead-off hitter, Luis Arraez, in May and their No.1 starter, Dylan Cease, in March. Those three acquisitions altogether cost them nine prospects ranked in their top 15 by MLB.com at the time of the moves. The Padres insist they have enough prospect capital and enough payroll flexibility to make more moves, with almost all their focus in recent days being on acquiring a starting pitcher and perhaps another reliever. They have until 3 p.m. PT Tuesday to try to improve their team for the remainder of 2024. It is a starting pitcher they need as insurance toward making sure their present playoff position doesn’t slip away like it did in 2021. A dozen teams were seriously in the market for starting pitching a few days ago. It seems at least nine still are, which is making it “very difficult” to pin down selling teams, according to one source. The starting pitching seekers include the cash- and prospect-rich Dodgers, who were already busy Monday. The Dodgers and Cardinals were involved in a three-team deal that netted the Cardinals starting pitcher Erick Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham and the Dodgers utility player Tommy Edman and reliever Michael Kopech while the White Sox got prospects. The Dodgers later added utility infielder Amed Rosario in a trade with the Rays. The Dodgers lead the National League West by 5½ games over the Padres, who are tied with the Mets for the second NL wild-card position, a half-game behind the Braves. The Cardinals are one of three NL teams within three games of a wild-card spot. The Padres, who did not play Monday after completing a 7-2 road trip the day before, have talked for weeks about the return of Fernando Tatis Jr. (perhaps by mid-August) being akin to a trade deadline blockbuster. They are 28-21 since Tatis succumbed to a stress fracture in his right leg. They also anticipate the return of starting pitcher Joe Musgrove in the coming weeks, which they likewise have touted as being a virtual deadline deal. Musgrove will throw two innings against minor-league hitters on Tuesday in Arizona and is pushing for a return by next week. While that might not be the same timeline as the Padres’ decision makers, their optimism is high regarding the way he is throwing. Still, the Padres have searched far and wide for a starter. As usual with A.J. Preller and his lieutenants, there were many iterations of many versions of many plans. What they end up doing specifically is often largely dependent on who says yes to what. They have made an effort at the top end where virtually every contender was (Garrett Crochet and Jack Flaherty) and where virtually no one else was (Taj Bradley) and in the middle (Cal Quantrill and Kikuchi). They talked about virtually every pitcher that could eat innings, being prepared in case that is the route that is most feasible. Crochet, Flaherty and Quantrill are still available. Bradley is virtually certain to remain in Tampa Bay. Preller asserted the Padres could do without adding a starter. “We’re still in conversation,” he said Sunday of potential trades for a starter. “We feel like we have internal options that we like. … We’ll see what’s on the market here the next couple days.” In addition to Musgrove’s prognosis, Jhony Brito appears healthy after an injury shortly after the All-Star break. He will continue to start in Triple-A with the idea he can provide innings in the big leagues at some point.

Relief Pitching and Bullpen Dynamics

Even after acquiring Adam, the Padres continue talking with other teams about relievers, not only because their bullpen could use the fortification but because adding another higher-leverage arm could allow them to adjust some roles and maybe piece together bullpen games around off-days the rest of the way (or at least while Musgrove builds up). But the reality is they have too many games remaining and too much uncertainty to leave it to what they have. That has been the assessment of multiple people inside the organization the past week. Michael King has thrown 20 more innings than he ever had in the major leagues, though he did throw more in the minor leagues. Matt Waldron has surpassed his previous high in professional baseball. The Padres do not want to risk having to resort to pulling pieces off the scrap heap — a la Jake Arrieta and Vince Velasquez in three years ago – or wearing out their bullpen. Those are the lengths they were forced to go to in 2021 when multiple injuries to starting pitchers contributed to the team’s fall from 17 games over .500 in mid-August to a finish of 79-83. They have gotten mostly excellent starting pitching over the past three weeks with four pitchers — Cease, King, Waldron and Randy Vasquez — doing virtually all the work. That has coincided with their most successful stretch of the season. And that is why they remain on the hunt and will almost certainly make a notable addition before 3 p.m.Tuesday.The top of San Diego’s system remains strong. The club’s top four prospects — Ethan Salas (No. 6 overall prospect), Robby Snelling (No. 45), Dylan Lesko (No. 77) and Leodalis De Vries (No. 79) — all rank among MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects. But Salas is off-limits, and the Padres are reluctant to deal any of the other three — particularly because they’d be selling low on Snelling and Lesko, who have struggled lately.