Brock talks Padres' Trade Deadline position, 2016 ASG

MLB.com beat writer Corey Brock stopped by Padres Social Hour on Monday to discuss the Padres' position as the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline approaches and the remainder of the baseball season in San Diego. Brock, who is in his ninth year of covering the Padres for MLB.com, had a cautiously optimistic viewpoint of where the team has found itself after the All-Star break:

"If these guys are going to truly make any kind of headway, it has to start now," said Brock. "[The Padres] have put themselves in a very precarious situation here, and let's not fool ourselves -- these next few weeks are going to be very interesting as we approach the Trade Deadline."

Brock, however, was not quick to dismiss the remainder of the Padres' season: "Will they buy? Will they sell? It may be a little mix of both, which is what I seem to believe. With the second Wild Card, these teams are truly not out of it, and I think this is forcing general managers across the landscape to hold onto their pieces until the last moment. Like I said, this is not a team that is, by any means, mathematically out of this."

Brock also briefly discussed how the Padres are preparing for the 2016 All-Star Game, which will be held in San Diego. "The Padres sent a contingent of close to 30 people to Cincinnati to keep an eye on how the Reds organization hosted the event -- not just the game itself or the Home Run Derby, but the ancillary events, including the gala, the parade and the All-Star Game FanFest," said Brock. "I think with the Padres being [so close to] the convention center, it will be a huge plus."

To hear more about Brock's thoughts on starter Tyson Ross, Justin Upton's recent oblique injury and how general manager A.J. Preller will approach the deadline as a buyer or seller, watch the entire interview with Jesse Agler and Jordan Carruth in the video above. Follow Corey on twitter at @FollowThePadres. And for more interviews, highlights and Padres content, check out padres.com/socialhour.