Padres' AJ Preller Says Team Could Sell at Trade Deadline

The next few weeks will determine how San Diego Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller approaches the upcoming trade deadline.

With the Padres' recent losing skid, the team has fallen in the standings, now sitting 13.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the National League West. San Diego is also 4.5 games back of the final wild-card spot in the NL, sitting in a very crowded field of teams.

Many around the league have been curious about how the Padres would approach the trade deadline, and the idea that they could be sellers has emerged of late. San Diego has multiple different areas to fill across the roster, with the priority set on needing more offense and starting pitching help.

Preller has been known for his clever antics with trades, but even he understands that having an open mind when it comes to this year's deadline is crucial.

“We’re going to go into the process open-minded to see what’s there and see what can help our club,” Preller said to reporters on Saturday. “We’re going to go in open-minded about whether it’s acquiring players or looking at it if we have to go another direction. All those things are on the table.”

After the All-Star break, the Padres will have series against the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins, two teams directly involved in the NL playoff race. The team also faces off against the Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants, offering them a chance to get back into the playoff hunt.

If the Padres are able to stabilize themselves, Preller may decide to add to the roster. But if they were to continue their free fall, selling could be the best way forward for this franchise.

“That first road trip … we’ll see a couple teams that are in the playoff chase with us and in front of us.” Preller said. “We’ll take it all in. You don’t want to overreact from game to game, but you get more information over those 10 days. That’ll all be part of our process and making our decisions here as we get to the deadline.”

Preller may decide to both buy and sell, getting some additional prospects for the future while bringing in talent around the edges of the roster. This could help keep the team afloat for the remainder of the season while ensuring strong asset management for the future.

All in all, Preller has one of the toughest jobs around baseball this summer, and his decisions could impact his job security. With a new ownership group in place, Preller's place in the organization could be on a short leash, making his trade decisions at the deadline a chance to either sink or swim.

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