Padres News: Padres to Add at Trade Deadline?
For the most part, the 2015-2016 offseason has made sense for the Padres. The Padres didn’t make any big splashes on the free agent or trade market, and improved their farm system through trades. While the team has not publicly stated what their intentions are, a rebuild has looked like the most logical option. Even so, recent comments made by Padres ownership once again bring about a different viewpoint altogether.
Last week, I wrote a piece about how Padre fans should be hoping for a fruitful July in 2016. Not only will the Padres be hosting the All Star Game, but they also stand to do well at next year’s trade deadline. With the roster as currently constructed, it’s hard to see this Padres team winning any more than 75-ish games. That would make the Padres clear sellers at the deadline. Or so I thought.
In a piece by Dennis Lin for the San Diego Union Tribune on Thursday, Lin discussed the recent comments made by Padres owner Mike Dee. On Wednesday, Dee appeared at the Padres complex in Peoria and made some comments to the media. Those comments are below.
“We’re excited about the draft and the prospects of the international market, but I think it’s also fair to say we’re keeping some dry powder as we move into the season as well.(We will) see how the major league season unfolds, and we could be a participant in an additive way in July if the team performs as we hope.”
Huh? The Padres front office has been called delude quite a few times, but this seems like a whole new low even for them. Despite being projected for no more than a .500 record by most projection systems, and being in the absolutely loaded National League West, Padres ownership still seems to think this team as currently constituted could be in a position to add pieces in July.
From several standpoints, this just doesn’t make any sense. After the ill-conceived playoff push in 2015, the Padres farm system is lacking in the depth it should have. Even if the Padres do find themselves in a positive position in July, it makes no sense to trade away any of the talent that is in the system for yet another desperate playoff push. Keeping payroll space for trade deadline additions just doesn’t make sense for the Padres at this point.
With six draft picks in the top 100, and every intention of shattering the 2016-2017 international spending limits, the Padres organization has put themselves in a fantastic position in the long term. Screwing that all up for another short term gain seems short sighted at best, and absolutely egregious mismanagement at worst. This 2016 Padres team is not going to be good. Rather than building for the chance of acquiring pieces at the deadline, A.J. Preller and company should be building toward the likelihood of trading more players away for younger talent.
The Padres organization is at a crossroads. The next six or so months will be critical to the future of this franchise. And saving payroll space to potentially add pieces at the trade deadline seems delusional. Right now, the Padres need to trust the process, and build for the future. Not blow it away again.
Editorial and Prospect Writer for East Village Times. Twenty-five years young, Patrick has lived in San Diego for his entire life and has been a Padres fan nearly as long. Patrick lives for baseball and is always looking to learn new things about the game he loves through advanced stats.