Padres have clear need for A.J. Preller to target at MLB trade deadline
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Padres have clear need for A.J. Preller to target at MLB trade deadline originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The San Diego Padres are competing with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top spot in the NL West through the first few weeks of the MLB season.
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Currently, the Padres are 15-7 while the Dodgers are 16-6. San Diego could easily climb and surpass the Dodgers this season. But, in order to do so, they will have to make a few roster moves by the trade deadline.
Fortunately, with A.J. Preller, the Padres swinging a few trades is not out of the question at all. And as Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report highlighted, there is a very clear need for Preller to target at this year's deadline: starting pitching.
A.J. Preller has clear Padres trade target in starting pitching
"The Padres sit in the middle of the pack with a 3.76 ERA from their starting rotation, but the staff feels like a house of cards," Reuter writes. "With Nick Pivetta nursing a flexor tendon strain, things could get ugly quick."
Nick Pivetta's injury is a bit of a concerning one, and the Padres would already be in need of starting pitching with this injury in mind.
But, even if he's healthy, the team could use more pitching. Michael King looks great with a 2.28 ERA, but he had injury issues last year. Joe Musgrove is coming back from injury and might not be up to full strength this season.
Randy Vasquez has been a pleasant surprise this year with a 2.49 ERA through four starts. But there's no telling if such success can be sustained for a full season.
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German Marquez has bounced back after a shaky start with a 3.86 ERA through four starts, while Walker Buehler has a 4.58 ERA in four starts this season.
The Padres, if they want to compete with the Dodgers not just for the NL West title, but for a World Series, will need to add more starting pitching help.
There are bound to be some interesting pitchers available for trade this season, with Sandy Alcantara once again being one of the best who could be on the move.
Preller has a knack for swinging massive trades, and if he could acquire a top-tier starter this season, the Padres' chances in the division and the postseason would look a lot better than they do now with a shaky rotation.
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