Padres 'Feel Good' About Farm System Despite Blockbuster Trades, Says AJ Preller

May 4, 2018; Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico; San Diego Padres general manager AJ Preller watches batting practice before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

San Diego Padres general manager and president of baseball operations A.J. Preller addressed his aggressive approach at the MLB trade deadline and why he moved so many top prospects.

Preller moved top prospect Leo De Vries and several other promising young players in their action-packed deadline.

The moves all addressed major weaknesses on the roster and landed the team one of the most electric young arms in baseball.

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The Padres are a better team after the moves and should compete in the playoff with the best teams, but there was a significant drain of young talent for the future of the organization.

Preller, though, does not appear bothered by the prospects who were traded.

During an interview with Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the executive explained his philosophy on building a farm system.

“You’ve got to be able to have players coming in every single year,” Preller told Acee.

“And the beauty for us is, we look at our system now and, yeah, there has definitely been a chunk taken out of it, but there’s a lot more there that we like.

"You look at our top 10, and you feel good about it. Hopefully this year’s draft class takes a step, but we’ve gotta continue to hit it for the future. You know, having the ability to do that is why we’re in position to make these deals.”

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At the deadline, the Padres traded away six of their top 16 prospects, according to Baseball America, and seven other minor league players.

San Diego got Ramón Laureano, Ryan O’Hearn, Freddy Fermín, and Mason Miller, among others.

For Preller, through good scouting and investing in player development, the Padres produce young players who become major league talent, who the team can then trade or keep on the roster.

This approach is risky, and it can set the franchise back several years if the talent pipeline dwindles, but those are concerns for the future.

Right now, the Padres are locked in a battle for the NL West with the Dodgers. They have the best bullpen in baseball, which bodes well for October, and their lineup does not have glaring holes.

The bill may come down in a couple of years, but San Diego has a chance to make some serious noise in October.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.