The San Diego Padres have one of the best records in all of Major League Baseball since the All-Star break, due in large part to General Manager AJ Preller making trades to bring in major league talent to the Padres since before the start of the season.
In less than a year, the Padres acquired big-name players at multiple positions, including starting pitcher Dylan Cease, former All-Star infielder Luis Arraez, and relief pitchers Jason Adam and Tanner Scott. Scott was an All-Star for the Miami Marlins before a trade brought him to San Diego.
Bringing in major league talent comes with a cost, and the Padres farm system of prospects is the main culprit. San Diego has traded 12 of its 21 top prospects since before the season started. San Diego only has two top-100 prospects remaining, in catcher Ethan Salas (no. 20) and shortstop Leodalis De Vries (no. 47).
The Padres entered the season as the number four ranked farm system, and with all the trades they have fallen to number 28 out of 30 teams. Only the Los Angeles Angels and the Houston Astros rank lower.
While the fall in the rankings is in part due to the promotion of outfielder and National League rookie of the year candidate Jackson Merrill, the Padres have been known in recent years to mortgage their future of young talent for opportunities to win at the major league level.
This season is no different, as Preller is pushing all of his chips to the middle in hopes of bringing San Diego its first World Series title.
