Could A.J. Preller Bring Himself To Be a Seller at the Trade Deadline?

With the All-Star break in the rearview mirror, and the San Diego Padres are 49-50, 2.5 games back of an NL wild-card spot. They own a -32 run differential and are 27-35 against teams above .500. 

While they’re hanging around the postseason conversation, there have been plenty of reasons to be frustrated.  

First-year manager Craig Stammen has been coaching a team that consistently makes mental mistakes and, at times, lacks hustle.

Additionally, first-year hitting coach Steven Souza Jr. has been a disappointing addition, with the team struggling offensively for the majority of the season. 

All in all, there are two ways you can evaluate the season so far.

On one hand, the team has been utterly disappointing, fielding one of the worst offenses and rotations in baseball. On the other hand, they’re sitting right around .500 and within striking distance of a playoff spot despite several deficiencies.

The logical person would tell you that it would be wise to either stand pat or to sell this deadline, and I’d agree with them — but A.J. Preller isn’t a logical person.

It’s obvious that Preller is going to want to do everything in his power to make this team a contender, but this team isn’t a World Series-caliber roster. The spending restrictions in the offseason severely handicapped this team’s ability to improve. Couple that with the struggles already mentioned and it becomes very hard to justify the team buying at the deadline. 

The best approach would be a combination of selling and retooling. The Padres can remain a fringe playoff team while making moves that better position them for the future.

What Are the Padres’ Weaknesses?

As already mentioned, the offense is one of the worst in the league, ranking 27th in wRC+ and on-base percentage, 28th in slugging percentage, and 29th in OPS and batting average.

Clearly, this lineup needs to be injected with life, preferably a power bat.

As for the rotation, this is arguably a bigger need for the team.

They rank 27th in starter ERA (4.80) and 28th in innings pitched by their starters (454). 

The combination of an anemic offense and a rotation that rarely works deep into games has overworked the team’s elite bullpen, leaving almost no margin for error.

Again, this is not a team built to survive a full season and make a serious postseason run.

While the Padres could improve around the margins at the deadline, one or two additions won’t fix a roster with this many flaws. That’s what makes the case for selling and retooling much stronger than buying.

Who Is on the Trade Block?

First, Mason Miller will not be dealt at the deadline. The idea has been floated around, but the only person who would meet the asking price is probably Preller himself. 

As for the big pending free agents, Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam, and Michael King should be available in the right deal. 

Starting with Morejon, Preller could bring back a sizable return for the left-hander. Ideally, the Padres would work out an extension, but everyone has a price, and it would be irresponsible not to listen.

The same goes for Adam, who has been excellent since returning from the ruptured quad tendon that ended his 2025 season. He is currently on the injured list with a right shoulder strain, which could lower his value slightly, but there will still be plenty of contenders interested.

Then there’s King. While it would be nice to have one starter you can consistently rely on, there’s a strong chance he opts out after the season. Given how well he has pitched, he’s going to command a significant contract this winter. If you’re not confident you can re-sign him, you might as well get something back for a legitimate front-of-the-rotation arm.

If there was a way to package either Morejon or King with Xander Bogaerts, that is something the team absolutely should do. It’s not a secret that the team has some of the worst aging contracts in baseball, and Bogaerts’ deal sits near the top of that list. If there’s a path to moving even part of that contract, it would significantly benefit the team’s long-term outlook.

Other obvious trade candidates include Miguel Andujar, Lucas Giolito, Griffin Canning, Germán Márquez, Walker Buehler, and Ty France.

The veteran starting pitching rentals could all be moved for lower-level prospects or complementary major league pieces, but none are likely to bring back a return that dramatically changes the organization.

As for Andujar and France, those are much more intriguing trade chips, especially France, who is having an excellent offensive season while putting himself in position to win another Gold Glove Award.

Final Thoughts

With the trade deadline less than two weeks away, how the Padres perform immediately in the next two weeks will likely determine how Preller approaches the deadline.

Even if Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill all have better second halves, which there are reasons to believe they will, buying at the deadline would still be a mistake.

Selling while retooling is the move that gives the Padres the best chance to build a more sustainable contender moving forward.