The San Diego Padres have eyes on them ahead of the 2023 MLB trade deadline. Do they have one big move to make before the window closes? Perhaps the Padres can go after Oakland Athletics pitcher Paul Blackburn. More on this below.

Why the Padres need to buy at the 2023 MLB trade deadline

The great narrative for the Padres in the 2023 MLB regular season thus far is that they are among the biggest disappointments in the big leagues. Despite a star-laden roster, they are struggling to win games and keep up with the competition in the National League West division.

Even still, the Padres are viewed as a team that needs to be a buyer at the trade deadline, especially after giving themselves a major shot in the arm by recently sweeping the AL West-leading Texas Rangers in a series at Petco Park. San Diego is still hanging around and can still realistically compete for at least the third and final Wild Card ticket in the National League.

As of this writing, it appears that San Diego's stance is not to part ways with assets that are rumored the most as trade baits like Juan Soto and Josh Hader. That decision can change at any given minute as the trade deadline inches closer, but either way, it's not too late for the Padres to add talent to boost their playoff chances.

Padres pitching in 2023

On paper, it doesn't appear that the Padres have an emergency to address their pitching. They are No. 1 in the big leagues with a starters ERA of 3.64. They are also just one of five teams in the MLB this season with a starters fWAR (9.7) of at least 9.0.

Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove have both been amazing for the team. Since June, Snell has gone 7-2 with a 0.71 ERA and 2.34 FIP. Musgrove, on the other hand, has put together an 8-1 record to go with a 1.88 ERA and 2.94 ERA over the same span. Yu Darvish and Seth Lugo are the other two major pieces of the starting rotation of the Padres, who have also given the likes of Ryan Weathers and Jackson Wolf chances on the mound as starters with Michael Wacha on the injured list.

There is always a place for any team to raise the ceiling of their pitching staff. The appetite for better pitching is a constant in baseball, and the Padres are no exception.

Is Paul Blackburn the answer for the Padres' woes?

And now we go back to Paul Blackburn. What is with him that makes him an interesting trade target for the Padres? He has a 4.83 ERA through his first 11 appearances (10 starts) and also carries a subpar 84 ERA+. However, it's still admirable that he's managed to go 2-2 over those starts despite an anemic Athletics offense behind him.

The Padres are not hitting as well as many people expect them to given their loaded roster, but they certainly can provide a much better pitching atmosphere for Blackburn, who is just a year removed from an All-Star nod. Moreover, Blackburn is trending nicely of late. Over his last two starts (at Coors Field and against the Houston Astros at home), Blackburn has allowed just three earned runs with 12 strikeouts across 11.1 combined innings.

Blackburn is not going to be the final answer to the Padres' woes for obvious reasons, but he can provide stable pitching in the backend of the team's rotation. Plus, he's a controllable asset for at least two more seasons, as Blackburn is arbitration-eligible in 2024 and 2025.