Padres Will Be 'Aggressive' at Trade Deadline, Says MLB Insider

Over the last few seasons, there hasn't been a team more aggressive in adding to the roster than the San Diego Padres.

San Diego has completely thrown the "small market" narrative out the window, with president of baseball operations AJ Preller leading the charge in putting together the best possible roster year in and year out.

Preller has been known to go after star players in a big way, and he seems to always find a path to make it happen. San Diego has again gotten off to an excellent start this season, and with the trade deadline coming this summer, nobody will be surprised if the team is active yet again.

In fact, MLB insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic took a look at every team in baseball and where they may stand at the upcoming trade deadline. And for the Padres, Bowden believes that the team will once again be aggressive in adding to the roster, labeling them as "buyers."

"San Diego needs another quality starting pitcher and will be aggressive at the deadline like they always are under the leadership of A.J. Preller," wrote Bowden.

What Areas Could Padres Target at Trade Deadline?

At the start of the season, many people would have expected the Padres to go after starting pitching at the trade deadline. However, even with all the injuries that have taken place to the team, things have somewhat leveled out for San Diego.

While the Padres could still make a move to add another arm, the team may need help in another area. The offense of the Padres has been very inconsistent this season from game to game, as multiple stars on the roster have struggled.

Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill have all opened the year hitting poorly, but despite this, the team is still winning games. If the team could add more power to the lineup, it could make a big difference to this club.

Players like slugger Yordan Álvarez of the Houston Astros could be available; similarly, some other players like Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians or Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox, as well. But the big hurdle for the Padres is the team's depleted farm system.

With all the major trades over the last couple of years, the Padres have sent out a ton of top prospects. So if the team wants to make a major splash at the trade deadline, it may need to be one top prospect and then a haul of other players.

It remains to be seen if teams trading star players would be interested in this type of deal, but Preller has been very good at getting things done. Nobody should doubt his ability to add to the roster, but this could be his toughest challenge yet.

San Diego is all-in on going after a World Series this season, but how the organization navigates the trade deadline will ultimately determine the ceiling of the Padres this year.

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