Padres Already Pursuing 4 Key Upgrades Ahead of Trade Deadline

The MLB trade deadline is Aug. 3 at 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET, and the San Diego Padres have already started preparing for it.

San Diego is expected to be one of the more active teams at the trade deadline, with the roster needing multiple holes filled. Some around the league have predicted that president of baseball operations A.J. Preller could go all-in once again, addressing all the needs of the team.

MLB insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic has reported that the Padres are looking to upgrade four different areas this trade deadline. According to Bowden, San Diego is looking at pitching help, left-handed batters, outfielders and catchers.

"The Padres are all over the place. They continue to search for starting pitching upgrades, corner outfield help, left-handed power bats and more catching, like they always do. San Diego will be opportunistic any way that it can to get better and make yet another playoff push," Bowden wrote.

Pitching Options for Padres

Starting pitching seems to be a real priority for the Padres, and the options all depend on how aggressive Preller wants to get. Ace Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers has been mentioned with San Diego, but the price may outweigh the risk.

Former Cy Young award winner Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins has frequently been mentioned with San Diego, and he could be the best bet for this team. Right-hander Freddy Peralta of the New York Mets is another option, but he carries similar risk to Skubal due to his impending free agency.

All-Star Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins could be another name for the Padres to go after, and they've shown interest in him previously.

Left-Handed Hitting Options for Padres

The main left-handed hitter connected with the Padres this year has been their former infielder Luis Arraez.

In San Francisco, Arraez has put together a strong season, and the Padres could look to bring him back. Arraez could provide a spark for this offense, giving the team someone who can hit for contact well and get on base.

San Diego has also been viewed as a possible landing spot for star Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros. But with Houston starting to play better of late, the likelihood of Alvarez getting traded has dwindled.

Outfield Options for Padres

The Padres have been linked with a few names already this deadline, including All-Stars Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox and Byron Buxton of the Twins. Each of these players would take a haul to land, but the offensive production added could be worth it.

San Diego could fill a void on the roster with the addition of either player, with Duran being more likely available than Buxton. The Padres have also been connected with Chicago Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki and Jo Adell of the Los Angeles Angels.

Price-wise, Adell likely makes the most sense for the Padres, given all the other needs of this team. But with Preller at the helm, the Padres are always looking to make splash moves.

Catching Options for Padres

As for the catcher spot, the Padres don't have a clear answer at the position. San Diego does have prospect Ethan Salas in the minor leagues, but the team believes he is still a ways away from coming to the majors.

The Padres have been connected with Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins, who has put together a great season so far. Jeffers will be a free agent at the end of the year, so he could be a strong stopgap option as the Padres look to win a World Series.

Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles has also been mentioned as a possible trade candidate for the Padres.

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