The San Diego Padres made their intentions clear at the trade deadline – they’re not giving up on October just yet.
Sure, the NL West title looks out of reach with the Dodgers adding Tarik Skubal to an already loaded roster. But that’s not stopping San Diego from making a push for one of those wild card spots, even though they’re sitting two games back from the final playoff position.
The big story? They kept Mason Miller, their electric closer who’d been generating serious trade interest. Instead of selling, GM AJ Preller went the other direction entirely.
Padres Add Rotation Depth
San Diego addressed their biggest need by landing two veteran starters before Tuesday’s deadline. They picked up Robbie Ray and cash from the Giants, sending RHP Miguel Mendez and SS Joniel Hernandez the other way.
They also grabbed Casey Mize and prospect Gage Workman from Detroit in exchange for LHP Kash Mayfield and LHP Jackson Wolf.
It’s another classic Preller move – trading away farm system pieces to bolster the major league roster. The approach has worked before in San Diego, and they’re betting it’ll work again.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter took notice, bumping the Padres from No. 19 to No. 10 in his post-deadline power rankings.
“Much of the talk surrounding the Padres in the days and weeks leading up to the deadline centered around selling, most notably superstar closer Mason Miller and rental setup man Adrian Morejon. Instead, they were one of the league’s most aggressive buyers, adding Casey Mize and Robbie Ray to the rotation in another round of gutting the farm system by AJ Preller.”
The rotation reinforcement couldn’t have come at a better time. Joe Musgrove is expected back later this month, which means San Diego’s starting staff could look completely different by September than it did in July.
It’s still an uphill climb to October, but Padres fans have reason to feel optimistic about their team’s chances after watching management double down on this roster.
