Padres Rumors: Insider Expects Friars to Upgrade at 2 Positions This Trade Deadline
There's been a debate going on for the past few weeks as to whether or not the San Diego Padres will be buyers or sellers at the deadline -- and if they opt to buy -- will they try to get one star or multiple pieces for the roster.
San Diego is six and a half games back in the race for the National League's final playoff spot entering play on Firday, but the door remains open for them to buy before the August 1 deadline.
And if they opt to do that, Jim Bowden of The Athletic sees the Friars adding in two different spots.
"... they’ll likely look to add around the edges rather than try to acquire more star power. They are arguably the most disappointing expected contender in baseball but are showing signs of starting to play better. They need a set-up reliever and another bat for the bottom third of their lineup." (via The Athletic)
The Padres definitely have holes to patch if they decide to make a run at the postseason, with the bullpen being the most glaring need.
San Diego still has Josh Hader on the roster, and even though he's been performing like the best closer in MLB this season -- with a microscopic 0.95 ERA and 24 saves in 28 opportunities -- they don't have much beyond him in the back end of the bullpen.
When it comes to the lineup, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Xander Bogaerts can form an incredible core when healthy, but they can afford to get more quality bats at the bottom of their lineup.
It'll be intriguing to see what the Padres do in the next few days leading up to the deadline, but San Diego could still be one of the biggest movers on August 1 despite their long playoff odds.
