PHOENIX -- The scale was smaller this year. No Mason Miller. No Juan Soto. The Trade Deadline came and went, and Padres general manager A.J. Preller did not pull off a blockbuster -- which always qualifies as a minor surprise.
But make no mistake: This Deadline was extremely on-brand for Preller and the Padres. Because, as always, they are going for it.
San Diego landed right-hander Casey Mize and left-hander Robbie Ray ahead of Monday’s Trade Deadline. Mize and Ray were two of the best starting pitchers available on the trade market.
They’re also rental pieces -- both set to become free agents after this season. The Padres -- who are teetering on the playoff bubble -- gave up three of their top nine prospects to land that duo.
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Sounds like Preller, doesn’t it?
“We’re trying to win,” Preller said on a conference call following Monday’s Deadline. “We don’t apologize for it. We’re trying to win championships. We’re trying to get to the postseason, and do it year after year.”
Major upgrades in the rotation
The Padres feel as though they markedly increased their playoff odds as a result of Monday’s moves. They’ve certainly addressed their biggest weakness -- a patchwork starting rotation that was being held together by bullpen games and piggybacks.
That was never going to be sustainable, and the Padres knew it.
Except, the goal was never to last the season with that plan. The goal was simply to reach the Trade Deadline in good enough shape that Preller could justify adding. That’s precisely what the Padres have done. They entered play Monday having won eight of their last nine, crystalizing their status as buyers.
At last, they have their rotation reinforcements. With a couple more on the way. Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta, who are both recovering from elbow injuries, are slated to begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday.
In the meantime, the Padres can feel much better about this starting rotation:
1. Michael King
2. Robbie Ray
3. Casey Mize
4. Walker Buehler
5. Randy Vásquez/bullpen game
“Excited to get Robbie and Casey into the fold,” Stammen said. “Good day for the Padres. And a good day for us to keep this season going, keep this momentum going and push for the postseason.”
Arms over bats
The Ray trade was finalized on the morning of Deadline day, with No. 4 prospect Miguel Mendez and No. 9 prospect Joniel Hernandez headed to San Francisco. That move was essentially the bare minimum. The Padres were always going to add an impact starter. From there, they had a decision to make.
Another starter? Or the left-handed-hitting outfield bat they coveted? Could there possibly be room to acquire both?
In the end, with fewer prospects at his disposal than in years past, Preller prioritized rotation reinforcements over another bat.
“Ultimately, we didn’t line up at the Deadline with that left-handed bat,” Preller said. “But we do like our options. We’ve been one of the better offenses in the league over the last month. So I think just continuing more of what we’re seeing, that’s going to be a big key.
“You’ve got to get pitching right. If your pitching’s right, it usually gives you a chance.”
Indeed, Preller’s strategy almost certainly shifted as a result of the offense’s renaissance. For the season’s first 2 1/2 months, the Padres had the worst offense in baseball by most measures. But since mid-June? They’re a top 5-10 outfit. That allowed Preller to focus on finding the rotation help he needed.
He sent lefty pitching prospects Kash Mayfield (No. 2 prospect) and Jackson Wolf (unranked) to Detroit for Mize, though San Diego also added lefty-hitting infielder Gage Workman in that deal.
Morejon stays, keeping the super-bullpen intact
The Padres’ path wasn’t always clear. On the Friday before the All-Star break, they sat 5 1/2 games back of the final Wild Card spot, in 11th place in the National League. It seemed entirely possible Preller would deal from his big league roster. Specifically from his bullpen.
Even as the Deadline approached, there was a case for Preller to both buy and sell. In the end though, Preller didn’t trade a single player from his big league roster.
That means, yes, Adrian Morejon remains a San Diego Padre.
“You could tell from the phone calls that came in all week and the last couple weeks,” Preller said. “The industry appreciates and realizes what kind of talent [Morejon] is and the impact he’s had for our team and our organization.”
For all the speculation surrounding Mason Miller, it was always extremely unlikely that the Padres would deal their All-Star closer, given that he has 3 1/2 years of team control remaining.
Morejon, meanwhile, is a free agent after the season. The Padres seriously entertained offers for him. But in the end, they realized that a bullpen with both Morejon and Miller would be their biggest strength come October. Not to mention, Morejon is universally beloved in the Padres’ clubhouse.
“He’s one of the best relievers in the league,” Preller said. “And the respect that he has in the clubhouse -- he’s a guy that was signed by the Padres in 2016, we feel like he’s grown up in the organization. … It’s a big strength for our team, the back end of the bullpen. He’s a huge part of it.”