Padres' AJ Preller Has Epic Quote to Wild Trade Deadline

July 24, 2020; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres general manager AJ Preller looks on before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

President of baseball operations A.J. Preller was up to his usual tricks on Thursday afternoon, wheeling and dealing as he aims to improve the roster.

The San Diego Padres entered the MLB trade deadline with clear holes at catcher, left field, and the back end of the rotation.

The ball club left Thursday with new players at all of these positions, netting starting pitcher Nestor Cortes, catcher Freddy Fermin, and outfielder Ramon Laureano, alongside first baseman Ryan O'Hearn and relief closer Mason Miller.

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San Diego moved several prospects to get these players through the door, nine in total, leaving their depleted farm system even more shallow.

This aggressiveness isn't new for Preller, who prides himself on making any moves needed to make the team better. The aim for the executive is to capture the ever elusive World Series during the franchise's golden age.

“I think the expectation of this group is always to go win a ring,” Preller told Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune after his busy Thursday.

“Last year, we got to the playoffs. We felt like we were a dangerous team. We were one of the teams that had a chance to win. Ultimately, we fell a couple stages short of what we tried to do. So this year, we kind of learned from last year, and we’ll take another run at it.

“If you’re gonna win a championship, you can’t have really any weak links. And that was a focus for us over the last few weeks.”

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The Padres are 3.5 games clear of the final Wild Card spot, sitting at 60-49 after Thursday.

The National League West title is within reach as well for the Friars, three games back from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

San Diego's core involving Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Manny Machado is ready to win now, and Preller gave the team's stars a chance at making noise in October.

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