Padres News: MLB Insider Expects Friars to Buy This Trade Deadline
The MLB trade deadline is quickly approaching, and as that August 1 date continues to get ever closer, the San Diego Padres are one of the more intriguing teams in the sport.
The Friars came into this season with sky high expectations as potential National League pennant contenders, and have been nothing close to that since the year began both due to a merry-go-round of injuries and poor performance.
As things stand, they have one of MLB's most star-studded rosters, but they're also six and a half games back in the chase for an NL Wild Card spot.
That leads to a question of what will the Padres actually do come the trade deadline?
According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, the team should still be buyers at the deadline despite their significant hole, as he succinctly wrote for the New York Post.
"The belief is that Padres, baseball’s unluckiest team, still are buyers, barring a collapse."
San Diego has plenty of talent to offer teams via trade, including Cy Young contender Blake Snell, one of the best closers in MLB in Josh Hader, and even potentially Juan Soto, who can become a free agent after next season.
When looking at the question of whether the Padres should buy or sell, it's really a question of risk versus reward.
If the Padres buy at the deadline and still come up short of the playoffs -- which they very well could do given they'd have to jump three teams in the wild card race as of now -- they would've accumulated all their star power with nothing to show for it.
As tough as a blow that it would be to take, at least looking to trade one or both of Snell or Hader looks like the more responsible option.
The odds of the Padres digging out of their hole is steep, their farm system is largely barren as far as what they could offer teams in a buying scenario, and general manager AJ Preller opening up for business by selling stars now could help the team retool for the long term.
But with the deadline just 12 days way, it doesn't look like he'll be heading that rout.
