Latest news with #Preller
New York Times
an hour ago
- Sport
- New York Times
The 8 biggest storylines to watch for on MLB trade deadline day
It's deadline day! Here are the biggest storylines: Preller, the San Diego Padres' general manager, is again poised to be the king of the deadline. The Athletic's Dennis Lin and I published a story at 9 p.m. ET Wednesday saying that Preller was still pursuing outfielders Jarren Duran and Steven Kwan and also pushing for Athletics closer Mason Miller. Advertisement Later that night, the A's held Miller out of a save situation even though he had not pitched since Saturday. A's broadcaster Dallas Braden followed with a cryptic post on X, seemingly indicating a deal of some magnitude was in the works. How this all will play out is anyone's guess. If Preller acquires Miller, will he trade Padres closer Robert Suarez? Will he also move right-hander Dylan Cease, a target of the Houston Astros and other clubs, and back-fill with another starter? After the dust settles, will he end up with Duran after all? The only thing clear is that Preller appears poised for a blockbuster. Maybe more than one. Would you believe that entering deadline day the only starting pitchers traded were Aaron Civale, Chris Paddack, Carlos Carrasco, Michael Soroka, Zack Littell and Erick Fedde? Not exactly a list of Cy Young contenders. Among the starters still under discussion, in one form or another: Cease, Arizona's Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, Miami's Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera, Baltimore's Charlie Morton, Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano and the Athletics' JP Sears. The Athletic (us, not the team!) reported Wednesday night that barring a major turnaround, the Pirates are unlikely to move Mitch Keller. The Minnesota Twins, according to sources briefed on their discussions, ended the night more focused on trading relievers Danny Coulombe and Brock Stewart than right-handed starter Joe Ryan. Washington Nationals All-Star left-hander MacKenzie Gore is another starter attracting serious interest. Whether the Nats are willing to move him under interim GM Mike DeBartolo is unclear. The frenzied run on relievers that began Wednesday should continue up to the deadline, considering the number of teams in need and the number of late-inning arms still available. Advertisement The Detroit Tigers are perhaps the team under the most pressure to act. Ranking 28th in the majors in bullpen strikeout rate, the Tigers' acquisition of righty Rafael Montero from the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday was a modest first step, at best. In the AL East alone, the New York Yankees are seeking multiple relievers. The Toronto Blue Jays are still looking for more help after acquiring righty Seranthony Domínguez. The Boston Red Sox might not be done after adding lefty Steven Matz. The Seattle Mariners, a team that was reported to be heavily in the mix for Jhoan Duran before his trade to the Philadelphia Phillies, also are still looking, along with the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and others. Among the relievers still in play, beyond the Athletics' Miller and Padres' Suarez: The Tampa Bay Rays' Pete Fairbanks; Pittsburgh Pirates' David Bednar and Dennis Santana; St. Louis Cardinals' Phil Maton; Colorado Rockies' Jake Bird, Seth Halvorsen and Victor Vodnik; Minnesota Twins' Danny Coulombe and Brock Stewart. After trading four relievers (Domínguez, Bryan Baker, Gregory Soto and Andrew Kittredge) along with infielder Ramón Urias, the Baltimore Orioles are not close to done. The Orioles' remaining chips on expiring contracts are first baseman Ryan O'Hearn, center fielder Cedric Mullins and starting pitchers Charlie Morton, Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano. By moving Baker, Kittredge and Urias, the Orioles also demonstrated they will deal players with remaining club control, putting outfielder Ramón Laureano in play. The Pirates, who sent third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, are another team expected to be active, even if they hold Keller. Bednar and Santana are among the best relievers still available, while outfielder Tommy Pham, left-hander Andrew Heaney and infielder Isaiah Kiner-Falefa are on expiring contracts. Advertisement Then there are the Marlins, who are taking their decisions on Alcantara and Cabrera down to the last day. The Marlins could trade a number of other players as well, including reliever Anthony Bender and outfielders Jesús Sánchez and Dane Myers. One day a Sox fan will win a trivia contest with the answer: 'James Paxton, Luis Garcia, Lucas Sims and Danny Jansen.' The question: 'Who were the players Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow acquired during his first trade deadline?' Breslow recovered from that bust by landing lefty Garrett Crochet, closer Aroldis Chapman and catcher Carlos Narváez as part of his first offseason haul. He then moved what is likely to be the biggest name of this trading season, Rafael Devers, in a trade that cleared the roughly $255 million remaining on the third baseman's contract. Matz possibly can serve as a swing man, but the Sox still need a starting pitcher and first baseman. The Rays do not appear especially keen on trading Díaz. The Sox tried for Eugenio Suárez with the idea of moving him to first. Here's a thought: What about a Morton-O'Hearn combination from the Orioles? The Red Sox are 59-51, five games back in the AL East, one game behind the Yankees for the top AL wild card. Breslow risks angering both his clubhouse and fan base if he strikes out again. The competition for relievers between the NL East contenders on Wednesday turned into a game of 'can you top this?' The New York Mets traded for Tyler Rogers. The Philadelphia Phillies acquired Jhoan Duran. The Mets got the last word by adding Ryan Helsley. Neither team is done. As The Athletic's Will Sammon writes, the Mets' next step probably is to add offense. A center fielder would be one possibility, but because they are not committed to a set DH, they also can consider other players at other positions. Advertisement As for the Phillies, president of baseball Dave Dombrowski told reporters their bullpen is set after adding Duran on top of free agent David Robertson. The Phils, too, could add an outfielder. And, like the Mets, they have shown interest in Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. Armed with a new contract extension, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer enters the deadline without fear that his job is at stake. Whether Hoyer can make the necessary moves to improve his club is another question. The Cubs failed to land Suárez to upgrade third base, but rookie Matt Shaw has broken out offensively since the All-Star break, batting .359 with four homers and a 1.119 OPS. The bigger need for the Cubs is pitching, a starter in particular. Their trades for righty Michael Soroka and reliever Andrew Kittredge on Wednesday amounted to a decent beginning. Teams seeking rotation help continue to cite the sellers' prices as steep, exorbitant, astronomical, pick an adjective. Well, the Cubs will have no excuse if they fail to come away with one of the available starters. Prior to the start of the season, The Athletic's Keith Law ranked their farm system the sixth-best in the game. This might be the Cubs' only season with right fielder Kyle Tucker. They cannot let it go to waste. Earlier this month, officials from two different clubs, speaking on condition of anonymity, cited data saying that deadline trades were overrated and 'didn't move the needle.' Allow us, then, to conclude with a history lesson, a list of deadline additions that helped elevate all but two of the last 10 World Series champions. Not all of the players acquired were major stars, either. 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers: Right-hander Jack Flaherty, reliever Michael Kopech and the eventual NLCS MVP, infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman. Advertisement 2023 Texas Rangers: Reliever Aroldis Chapman, right-hander Max Scherzer and left-hander Jordan Montgomery, who had a 2.90 ERA in 31 postseason innings. 2022 Houston Astros: Reliever Will Smith, first baseman Trey Mancini and catcher Christian Vázquez, who caught a combined no-hitter in Game 4 of the World Series. 2021 Atlanta Braves: Catcher Steven Vogt and outfielders Joc Pederson, Jorge Soler, Adam Duvall, along with the eventual NLCS MVP Eddie Rosario. 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers: Shortened season. No additions. 2019 Washington Nationals: Relievers Roenis Elias and Hunter Strickland, neither of whom made an impact, and Daniel Hudson, who was terrific down the stretch and recorded the final out of the World Series. 2018 Boston Red Sox: Infielder Ian Kinsler and righty Nathan Eovaldi, who had a 2.01 ERA in 22 1/3 postseason innings, including six courageous innings of a 3-2 loss to the Dodgers in Game 3 of the World Series. 2017 Houston Astros: Lefty Francisco Liriano, who barely contributed. 2016 Chicago Cubs: Relievers Joe Smith; Chapman, who had a combined 1.91 ERA in the regular season and postseason; and Mike Montgomery, who recorded the final out of the World Series. 2015 Kansas City Royals: Super-utility man Ben Zobrist, who was fantastic, and righty Johnny Cueto, who was just OK. Make trades, people. It's deadline day! (Top photo of the Cubs' Craig Counsell and Jed Hoyer:)
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB rumors: Padres GM A.J. Preller gets urgent trade deadline message from rivals
The post MLB rumors: Padres GM A.J. Preller gets urgent trade deadline message from rivals appeared first on ClutchPoints. The San Diego Padres are in second place in the NL West as the MLB trade deadline approaches. Even with a Los Angeles Dodgers slide ongoing, San Diego is still five games back in the division. With LA struggling and some expiring contracts on their team, AJ Preller and the Padres are expected to be active at the deadline. Rival executives told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal that they expect big moves from Preller. 'Some rival executives contend that San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller needs to act with urgency at the trade deadline. Their premise is not unreasonable.' Rosenthal continued, 'Here's the thing, though: Preller always acts with urgency. He would do that if he were under contract through 2036 instead of 2026. He also would do it if every Padres pitcher were eligible for free agency. Pitching turnover is not something Preller frets over. It's actually part of his plan.' The Padres should be looking to add an outfielder at the MLB trade deadline. Jurickson Profar left in free agency, and they have not gotten production out of left field all year. The Boston Red Sox have an outfield surplus, but don't seem to want to part with any of it. That could send them to the Minnesota Twins, who have a few things San Diego could use. Every team could use a bullpen arm, and the Twins have two who could be traded. Pair one of Jhoan Duran or Griffin Jax with Willi Castro, and the Padres will be a solid playoff contender. Castro can play all three outfield positions and can play in the infield as well, but won't cost a ton. Jax or Duran would cost a huge prospect, which the Padres have given up in the past. What are the Padres going to do at the MLB trade deadline? Last year, they took a big swing on Tanner Scott. Could a similar deal come this year? Related: Red Sox trade proposal lands Dylan Cease from Padres Related: MLB rumors: Insider's 3-team trade idea sends Red Sox's Jarren Duran to Padres
New York Times
6 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Rosenthal: Why Padres GM A.J. Preller's trade deadline approach will be as urgent as ever
Some rival executives contend that San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller needs to act with urgency at the trade deadline. Their premise is not unreasonable. Future Hall of Fame third baseman Manny Machado, 33, is still in his prime. Several top Padres pitchers are likely headed to free agency. And the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers look more vulnerable than expected. Advertisement Here's the thing, though: Preller always acts with urgency. He would do that if he were under contract through 2036 instead of 2026. He also would do it if every Padres pitcher were eligible for free agency. Pitching turnover is not something Preller frets over. It's actually part of his plan. As usual, Preller will be one of the prime executives to watch at the deadline, pricing every available player, including his own. He will buy. He will sell. He again will distinguish himself as one of the few lead executives who operate without fear. What exactly does he intend? Check back Aug. 1. Preller might trade potential free-agent right-hander Dylan Cease and replace him with another starter. He might move closer Robert Suarez, who can hit the open market by declining a pair of $8 million player options, and pick off some other high-leverage reliever to keep his bullpen a strength. How much payroll flexibility Preller has — the Padres, according to FanGraphs, are slightly over the second, $261 million luxury tax threshold — is not known. Preller's stated goal, in an interview with MLB Network Radio, is adding 'a bat or two.' Left field, where the Padres ranked 28th in OPS entering Thursday's play, and catcher, where they ranked 26th, are the obvious positions to upgrade. But rarely does Preller follow a straight line. The Padres, since the offseason, have fielded offers on all of their potential free agents, including right-hander Michael King and first baseman Luis Arraez. When they are open to trading a player or interested in acquiring another team's player, it never qualifies as a surprise. What is surprising about the Padres is that they entered Thursday ranked 25th in runs per game, despite Preller's long-term commitments to Machado, right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., shortstop Xander Bogaerts, center fielder Jackson Merrill and infielder Jake Cronenworth. Machado and Tatis are the only Padres with an OPS above .800. The lineup's lack of depth only adds to the pressure on the other supposed anchors. Advertisement Many in the industry expect the Padres to eventually crash under the weight of their big contracts. Bogaerts, 32, is earning $25 million per season through 2033. Machado, 33, has a backloaded deal that will pay him $35 million annually from 2027 to 2033. Tatis, 26, has a similar structure and will earn $36 million annually from 2029 to 2036. Those contracts may or may not prove albatrosses. But Preller's ability to continually regenerate his pitching staff, largely at club-friendly rates, is a big reason the Padres might reach the postseason for the fourth time in six years — and keep their competitive window open for the foreseeable future. The need for Preller to win with Cease, King and Suarez is no greater than the urgency he faced in 2023, when Blake Snell, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Nick Martinez were headed to free agency. How did Preller recover from their departures? By trading Juan Soto for pitchers King, Drew Thorpe, Randy Vásquez and Jhonny Brito, then flipping Thorpe in a package for Cease. Preller doesn't exactly view pitchers as expendable, but he knows few stand the test of time the way a position player like Machado will. His long-term contracts for starters — five years, $100 million for Joe Musgrove, and six years, $108 million for Yu Darvish — were reasonable gambles (well, as reasonable as a deal extending through Darvish's age-42 season can be). Nick Pivetta's four-year, $55 million deal, which pays him only $4 million this season and gives him the ability to decline a player option after 2026, looks like a bargain. Yet, for all of Preller's best-laid plans, the Padres' rotation this season is not at all what he envisioned. Cease has been inconsistent. Musgrove is recovering from Tommy John surgery. King and Darvish also have missed huge chunks of time. Not to worry. The Padres entered Thursday ranked 12th in rotation ERA, in part because Preller keeps coming up with new arms. Advertisement Three relatively unheralded pitchers — Vásquez, Ryan Bergert (sixth round pick in 2021) and Stephen Kolek (Rule 5 pick from Seattle in 2023) — have combined for a 3.79 ERA in 204 1/3 innings. The Padres are drawing trade inquiries on Bergert and Kolek as well as Double-A prospects Henry Baez and Braden Nett, according to a source briefed on their discussions. All could contribute to next year's rotation, provided they are still with the team. Cease, a top-five Cy Young finisher in 2022 and '24, obviously has greater value, particularly in a market starved for top-of-the-rotation starters. To interested teams — which is to say, pretty much every contender — his 4.59 ERA matters only so much. His 3.48 expected ERA is more than a run per nine innings lower than his actual figure. His average fastball velocity (97.1 mph) and strikeout rate are in the top 12 percent of the league. Preller could use Cease to get the hitter he wants or to acquire prospects who would enable him to upgrade his offense in a larger deal. His farm system, ravaged by the Soto trade and other deals, includes two top prospects — shortstop Leodalis De Vries and catcher Ethan Salas — but little else beyond the lower levels. And Salas has been out since April 26 with a stress fracture in his back, effectively putting his trade value on hold. The Athletic's Keith Law and Baseball America ranked the Padres' system 26th before the start of spring training. Padres officials take such evaluations only so seriously. In 2022, the year the Padres acquired Soto and Josh Hader at the deadline, Law had them 15th before the season started, Baseball America 21st. Preller will figure out something. He always does. Let other teams sweat their models, fuss over surplus values and engage in paralysis by analysis. Urgency is Preller's default setting.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Padres must prove they're worth 'bold move' at MLB trade deadline
WASHINGTON — One hundred games into a season is typically long past time a ballclub has its identity firmly established. Yet the San Diego Padres know it's not too late to show the world exactly how good they are. And more specifically, to prove to club president A.J. Preller that their squad is worthy of the aggressive moves for which he's so renowned. 'We need to show him what we're capable of,' All-Star outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. tells USA TODAY Sports, 'to see what kind of bold move he'll make.' For now, the Padres have proven they're playoff caliber: They hold down the final wild card spot in the National League and lurk just 3 ½ games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. They began the second half by winning two of three games at Washington, the start of a 10-game humidity tour that will afford them climate-controlled indoor baseball in Miami before four games at St. Louis precede a return to San Diego's saner dew points. It was on this almost exact trip last year – also the first after the All-Star break - that the Padres won seven of nine games, going from .500 team to a club that gave the Dodgers the hardest punch of the playoffs before losing a five-game NL Division Series. And after that post-break burst, Preller juiced up the bullpen, swinging deals to land All-Star relievers Jason Adam and Tanner Scott, a just reward for a club that earned it. Now, these Padres face something of a last dance. Oh, it's never over in San Diego, not when veterans like Manny Machado ($350 million through 2033), Xander Bogaerts ($280 million, 2033) and Tatis ($340 million, 2034) are wrapped up well into the next decade, and eight other players locked into multi-year deals through at least 2027. But a mini-window of sorts is closing: Starting pitchers Dylan Cease and Michael King, the major pieces of their pivot to deal Juan Soto to the New York Yankees, are free agents after this season. The extent to which San Diego attempts to retain them this winter, or backfill the rotation via free agency, should be telling about the near-term fate of the franchise, which lost its franchise scion when owner Peter Seidler passed away in November 2023. While overflow crowds at Petco Park and the many long-term commitments ensure the Padres will stay competitive, coming years may suggest a re-tooling or at least easing the foot up on the gas. For now, though, there's still a pennant to chase, and a case to make. 'This is the stretch,' says Cease, who shrugged off a first half in which he posted a 4.88 ERA to strike out 10 in his first start after the break. 'Obviously all the games are important. But this is really, probably going to define who we're going to be at the end of the day.' With a president of baseball operations surely watching closely. 'I don't think in terms of that,' says Cease, 'but the better position we're in you know the more aggressive he's probably more willing to be. 'But he's probably going to be aggressive either way.' And Preller would be augmenting a club that, despite its 54-45 record, knows there's a little more in the tank. 'Didn't let 'em breathe' The Padres were hard to miss at the July 15 All-Star Game, what with five representatives led by Tatis and MVP candidate Manny Machado. Yet the remainder of their reps came from one unit: The bullpen. They were well-earned nods, with Robert Suárez leading the majors with 28 saves and Adam (2.05 ERA) and lefty Adrian Morejon (1.83 ERA, 0.81 WHIP) dominant almost every time out. Yet Adam and Morejon have already pitched in 48 games, one less than the major league leaders in that category. Jeremiah Estrada has logged 47 appearances. And the Padres have played 55 games decided by two runs or less, second-most in the majors. Fortunately, they're 34-21 in such games, yet the bullpen has burned a lot of high-leverage fuel to prop them up, and the sustainability questions will swirl if there are any late-inning hiccups. To put it bluntly: The Padres need to start kicking some teams' butts. 'Didn't let 'em breathe,' an approving manager Mike Shildt said after the Padres jumped the Nationals in an 8-1 victory to claim the series Sunday. 'If we continue to do that – we add on – watch out. 'This team will be even more dangerous than it already is.' That victory was jump-started by Machado and Tatis drawing first-inning walks and Bogaerts jumping All-Star MacKenzie Gore for a first-inning grand slam; it was 5-0 after one inning and 8-0 after three. And it continued Bogaerts' tear; he's raised his batting average 40 points since June 19, his .382 average second in the majors in that stretch. Bogaerts, who turns 33 Oct. 1, has had an uneven first two years in San Diego, his OPS falling 102 points to .688 last season. Yet he's back at his familiar shortstop post and exemplifying this Padre group's ethos: Make good swing decisions, get the ball in play, catch the ball and run the bases aggressively and smartly. Bogaerts' 16.2% strikeout rate is his best since 2015, when he was 22 and in his first full season with Boston. The Padres' 695 strikeouts are fewest in the NL – 68 less than the nearest playoff contender, the Cubs. 'Just trying to swing at strikes,' says Bogaerts, who has stolen 16 bases in 17 attempts. 'Keep working and keeping the same routine.' Shildt is a bit more effusive. 'Just looks under control. Balanced. Everything looks smooth. He's got a lot of (stolen bases), right there with Tati. And he's playing as good a shortstop as anybody in baseball. 'We're getting an All-Star version of Bogey.' A division shot, a shot in the arm As they pass the 100-game mark in Miami, the Padres can feel good in who they are, and what is at stake. 'I know we have a good team," says Bogaerts. "We have to play some really good baseball. We have a tough stretch coming up and a big second half, so hopefully we can get there.' Indeed, 29 of their next 35 games are against teams with winning records; the Padres are just 20-32 against teams better than .500 this season. Things aren't optimal, but you can see help from here. King, currently on the injured list with a pinched nerve in his right shoulder, is throwing bullpen sessions and hopes for an August return. In his stead, Nick Pivetta – signed when the veteran righty hit a free agent road bump due to the qualifying offer – is pitching better than he has in his nine-year career. Jackson Merrill, who probably should have won NL Rookie of the Year honors last year, has been slowed by a pair of IL stints yet still has a runway to salvage the rest of his sophomore season. And for better or worse, they'll be done with the Dodgers by Aug. 24 after playing them six times in a 10-game stretch. Of their final 27 games, 10 are against the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox, the two worst teams in baseball. 'We have a chance to win the division out here,' says Tatis. 'We got a lot of baseball ahead of us. It's a matter of taking care of business and staying consistent.' And then there is the deadline. The Padres' needs are not unlike almost every other contender: A starting pitcher. Another outfield or DH bat, preferably right-handed. And perhaps another reliever, though the Padres are dealing from a position of strength rather than the relief misery many other clubs find themselves in. 'There is great talent in this room,' says catcher Martin Maldonado, the 38-year-old veteran of six Houston Astros playoff runs. 'The pitching staff is amazing.' In fact, the Padres believe, whatever additions arrive can only build upon something solid. Perhaps they will push them to a division title, a round deeper in the playoffs. Point is, the Padres have put themselves in position to reap those rewards. 'Almost every facet of the game we've been good,' says Shildt, citing the consistency of the team's at-bats as the last piece to slide into place. 'I do feel like we're in a good spot and trending to a great spot.' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Padres' MLB trade deadline rumors depend on hot second-half start
USA Today
21-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Padres must prove they're worth 'bold move' at MLB trade deadline
WASHINGTON — One hundred games into a season is typically long past time a ballclub has its identity firmly established. Yet the San Diego Padres know it's not too late to show the world exactly how good they are. And more specifically, to prove to club president A.J. Preller that their squad is worthy of the aggressive moves for which he's so renowned. 'We need to show him what we're capable of,' All-Star outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. tells USA TODAY Sports, 'to see what kind of bold move he'll make.' For now, the Padres have proven they're playoff caliber: They hold down the final wild card spot in the National League and lurk just 3 ½ games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. They began the second half by winning two of three games at Washington, the start of a 10-game humidity tour that will afford them climate-controlled indoor baseball in Miami before four games at St. Louis precede a return to San Diego's saner dew points. It was on this almost exact trip last year – also the first after the All-Star break - that the Padres won seven of nine games, going from .500 team to a club that gave the Dodgers the hardest punch of the playoffs before losing a five-game NL Division Series. And after that post-break burst, Preller juiced up the bullpen, swinging deals to land All-Star relievers Jason Adam and Tanner Scott, a just reward for a club that earned it. Now, these Padres face something of a last dance. Oh, it's never over in San Diego, not when veterans like Manny Machado ($350 million through 2033), Xander Bogaerts ($280 million, 2033) and Tatis ($340 million, 2034) are wrapped up well into the next decade, and eight other players locked into multi-year deals through at least 2027. But a mini-window of sorts is closing: Starting pitchers Dylan Cease and Michael King, the major pieces of their pivot to deal Juan Soto to the New York Yankees, are free agents after this season. The extent to which San Diego attempts to retain them this winter, or backfill the rotation via free agency, should be telling about the near-term fate of the franchise, which lost its franchise scion when owner Peter Seidler passed away in November 2023. While overflow crowds at Petco Park and the many long-term commitments ensure the Padres will stay competitive, coming years may suggest a re-tooling or at least easing the foot up on the gas. For now, though, there's still a pennant to chase, and a case to make. 'This is the stretch,' says Cease, who shrugged off a first half in which he posted a 4.88 ERA to strike out 10 in his first start after the break. 'Obviously all the games are important. But this is really, probably going to define who we're going to be at the end of the day.' With a president of baseball operations surely watching closely. 'I don't think in terms of that,' says Cease, 'but the better position we're in you know the more aggressive he's probably more willing to be. 'But he's probably going to be aggressive either way.' And Preller would be augmenting a club that, despite its 54-45 record, knows there's a little more in the tank. 'Didn't let 'em breathe' The Padres were hard to miss at the July 15 All-Star Game, what with five representatives led by Tatis and MVP candidate Manny Machado. Yet the remainder of their reps came from one unit: The bullpen. They were well-earned nods, with Robert Suárez leading the majors with 28 saves and Adam (2.05 ERA) and lefty Adrian Morejon (1.83 ERA, 0.81 WHIP) dominant almost every time out. Yet Adam and Morejon have already pitched in 48 games, one less than the major league leaders in that category. Jeremiah Estrada has logged 47 appearances. And the Padres have played 55 games decided by two runs or less, second-most in the majors. Fortunately, they're 34-21 in such games, yet the bullpen has burned a lot of high-leverage fuel to prop them up, and the sustainability questions will swirl if there are any late-inning hiccups. To put it bluntly: The Padres need to start kicking some teams' butts. 'Didn't let 'em breathe,' an approving manager Mike Shildt said after the Padres jumped the Nationals in an 8-1 victory to claim the series Sunday. 'If we continue to do that – we add on – watch out. 'This team will be even more dangerous than it already is.' That victory was jump-started by Machado and Tatis drawing first-inning walks and Bogaerts jumping All-Star MacKenzie Gore for a first-inning grand slam; it was 5-0 after one inning and 8-0 after three. And it continued Bogaerts' tear; he's raised his batting average 40 points since June 19, his .382 average second in the majors in that stretch. Bogaerts, who turns 33 Oct. 1, has had an uneven first two years in San Diego, his OPS falling 102 points to .688 last season. Yet he's back at his familiar shortstop post and exemplifying this Padre group's ethos: Make good swing decisions, get the ball in play, catch the ball and run the bases aggressively and smartly. Bogaerts' 16.2% strikeout rate is his best since 2015, when he was 22 and in his first full season with Boston. The Padres' 695 strikeouts are fewest in the NL – 68 less than the nearest playoff contender, the Cubs. 'Just trying to swing at strikes,' says Bogaerts, who has stolen 16 bases in 17 attempts. 'Keep working and keeping the same routine.' Shildt is a bit more effusive. 'Just looks under control. Balanced. Everything looks smooth. He's got a lot of (stolen bases), right there with Tati. And he's playing as good a shortstop as anybody in baseball. 'We're getting an All-Star version of Bogey.' A division shot, a shot in the arm As they pass the 100-game mark in Miami, the Padres can feel good in who they are, and what is at stake. 'I know we have a good team," says Bogaerts. "We have to play some really good baseball. We have a tough stretch coming up and a big second half, so hopefully we can get there.' Indeed, 29 of their next 35 games are against teams with winning records; the Padres are just 20-32 against teams better than .500 this season. Things aren't optimal, but you can see help from here. King, currently on the injured list with a pinched nerve in his right shoulder, is throwing bullpen sessions and hopes for an August return. In his stead, Nick Pivetta – signed when the veteran righty hit a free agent road bump due to the qualifying offer – is pitching better than he has in his nine-year career. Jackson Merrill, who probably should have won NL Rookie of the Year honors last year, has been slowed by a pair of IL stints yet still has a runway to salvage the rest of his sophomore season. And for better or worse, they'll be done with the Dodgers by Aug. 24 after playing them six times in a 10-game stretch. Of their final 27 games, 10 are against the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox, the two worst teams in baseball. 'We have a chance to win the division out here,' says Tatis. 'We got a lot of baseball ahead of us. It's a matter of taking care of business and staying consistent.' And then there is the deadline. The Padres' needs are not unlike almost every other contender: A starting pitcher. Another outfield or DH bat, preferably right-handed. And perhaps another reliever, though the Padres are dealing from a position of strength rather than the relief misery many other clubs find themselves in. 'There is great talent in this room,' says catcher Martin Maldonado, the 38-year-old veteran of six Houston Astros playoff runs. 'The pitching staff is amazing.' In fact, the Padres believe, whatever additions arrive can only build upon something solid. Perhaps they will push them to a division title, a round deeper in the playoffs. Point is, the Padres have put themselves in position to reap those rewards. 'Almost every facet of the game we've been good,' says Shildt, citing the consistency of the team's at-bats as the last piece to slide into place. 'I do feel like we're in a good spot and trending to a great spot.'
