Three games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, it certainly wasn't surprising to see the San Diego Padres pull a few trades before Thursday's MLB trade deadline. Still, it was surprising to see just how many deals Padres GM A.J Preller swung before the deadline passed. By the time the dust settled, Preller and San Diego's front office had completed five separate trades. The Athletic's Jayson Stark had a new nickname for Preller: “the king of the deadline.”
“At one point Thursday, after the Mason Miller deal went down, I wrote a mini-column pronouncing A.J. Preller, the GM/president of baseball ops for the Padres, as ‘the king of the deadline,'” wrote Stark on Friday. “Hoo boy. That was a popular take.”
Based on how much trading Preller has done since taking over in San Diego, it's not a surprising moniker at all. While many current day GMs like Preller certainly don't mind wheeling and dealing, the Padres' president of baseball operations is arguably the current king of it. He's an aggressive executive that is willing to do anything it takes to help his team's playoff odds. Will all the moves he executed on Thursday pay off? If so, then another postseason spot could certainly be in San Diego's grasp.
Padres hope flurry of trade deadline moves help playoff chances
Taking a look at all the players that the Padres acquired, it was clear that Preller wanted to improve his roster in a number of ways. Even though they are three games behind the Dodgers for the West's lead, the Padres still hold the final NL Wild Card spot. The playoff field is loaded, as the Cincinnati Reds are only three and a half games behind San Diego for that last spot.
Preller added multiple players who should make an impact, from first baseman/designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn and outfielder Ramon Laureano from the Baltimore Orioles to the Athletics duo of reliever Mason Miller and starter JP Sears. Miller could combine with current MLB saves leader Robert Suarez to be a lockdown tandem at the backend. Sears and Nestor Cortes, acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers, should help the rotation. Now that the trade deadline has passed, what will Preller do for an encore?
