PHOENIX — Come on, you weren’t really fooled, were you?
Did you actually believe those rumors that the San Diego Padres were going to trade All-Star closer Mason Miller?
The trade talks with the New York Yankees about Miller and setup man Adrian Morejon?
The speculation they would be packaging Miller to dump one of their star players with a bloated contract?
Or the wild notion they would just completely give up at the trade deadline, and orchestrate a sell-off for prospects?
Please.
The Padres and A.J. Preller, their president of baseball operations, don’t operate that way.
They are always in, pushing their chips into the middle of the table, no matter what the cost.
Remember when owner Peter Seidler was alive? He was bidding on everyone from Trea Turner to Aaron Judge, jumping in and offering Judge a 10-year, $400 million contract at the last minute, even though they already had a right fielder in Juan Soto, who they intended to keep.
The payroll was slashed when Seidler passed, going from $256 million in 2023 to $173 million the following season and now $219 million, but it still didn’t slow down Preller’s aggressiveness, who dozes off occasionally at night, just long enough to charge his cell phone.
So the Padres, hovering around .500 at the trade deadline, went shopping while other wild-card contenders facing the same odds sat idly by. Preller brought former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray and All-Star starter Casey Mize to the San Diego party.
Sure, they don’t have a shot to catch the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are in a fight for their lives just to knock off the Arizona Diamondbacks or Philadelphia Phillies in the wild-card race. Still, no matter the odds, no matter their offensive struggles, no matter their flawed starting rotation, they went all-in.
Once again.
“We’re trying to win," says Preller. “We don’t apologize for it. We’re trying to win championships. We’re trying to get to the postseason and do it year after year."
Certainly, they’ve become October regulars. The Padres have reached the postseason four times in the last six years, but have yet to reach the World Series since 1998, and are still searching for their first title in the 57-year history of the franchise.
The way they see it, if they can survive going with just two traditional starters for weeks, Fernando Tatis Jr. going two months until hitting his first homer, Manny Machado’s batting average not climbing above .200 until July, second baseman Jake Cronenworth out two months with a concussion, and center fielder Jackson Merrill hitting .219 with a .628 OPS the first half, anything is possible.
“We’re definitely in a much better spot than we were," Padres starter Michael King tells USA TODAY Sports. “We went through a stretch where it was just Walker [Buehler] and I that were even throwing bullpens in between starts. No one else could because just about every day was a bullpen game."
And yet, the crazy part is that it actually worked, even with Randy Vasquez last week becoming the only starter besides King to pitch six innings in a game since June 3.
“Those guys dominated,’’ King says. “There were some games that I was like, 'This is unfair right now because teams weren’t seeing the same guy twice, and then they’d see the 'A game' at the back end of games. [Jeremiah] Estrada comes in throwing 98. [Adrian] Morejon comes in throwing. Mason [Miller] comes in throwing 103.
“It was a beautiful thing."
Now, the Padres can go with the conventional approach, having King, Ray, Mize, Vasquez and Buehler as their starting five, with perhaps Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta joining them in late August or early September, making them a legitimate threat.
Give the Padres a lead after six innings, and the game is over.
“The offense is coming around, the rotation is rounding out, and the bullpen is our strength," Preller says, “so it's kind of the way we set it up at the beginning of the year. Just getting here has been a bit of a challenge, but hopefully we’re in a spot now where we have a chance to finish strong.’’
They wouldn’t be the Padres if their path to October was smooth. Mize gave up a career-high eight earned runs in his Padres’ debut. Ray, who had yielded a 1.09 ERA in his last eight starts, followed up by giving up four earned runs and allowing 12 baserunners in five innings in his debut.
So much for making great first impressions.
Still, there’s no panic, and if you ask the Padre veterans, they’re motivated more than ever to reward the front office for their faith. If Preller and the incoming new ownership believes in them enough to add payroll and go for it at the deadline, why not confirm their beliefs?
“This group has been together for six years," Preller said. “They’ve been through a lot of pennant races. They’ve been through a lot of these trade deadlines. So I think they understand that as an organization, if we’re in it, we feel like we have a good team, we’re going to try to do what we can to supplement our club.
“I think they expect that, and I think they appreciate playing for an organization that’s trying to win.’’
So go ahead, let the Tigers, who are still in the AL Central race, surrender and dump two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and Mize. Let the Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds bow out of the NL wild-card race by their actions at the trade deadline.
The Padres, no matter how poor their odds are of surviving (32.1% according to Fangraphs), simply aren’t built that way.
If they have a shot, they’re going to take it.
“We felt good coming into the year," Tatis said, “but we struggled. We had injuries. We had a lot of things go wrong. But they didn’t give up on us.
“Now, here we are, I’ll take my chances with this team."
Says Padres manager Craig Stammen: “We had to fight through a lot times. We went through a tough stretch. We went through a rut offensively. That tailed into a (eight-game) losing streak. But we just continued to fight. And since then, we’ve played pretty good baseball.
“We’re probably playing our best right now."
Will it be good enough?
We’ll see.
Realistically, there are three teams battling for the final two wild-card berths:
The Phillies, Diamondbacks and Padres.
It’s hard to imagine the Phillies won’t be a playoff team, leaving the Padres and D-backs fighting it out for the final spot. The season concludes with the D-backs and Padres playing one another in a three-game series at Petco Park, with the two teams tied in their season series.
And when they meet again, the Padres will have new ownership in place, with José E. Feliciano and wife Kwanza Jones expected to be officially approved by their fellow owners within two weeks. They are purchasing 45% of the team with Feliciano becoming the new control person.
They’d love to be watching their new team play in October, too.
“We’ll take our chances,’’ Preller says, “against anyone.’’
They always do.
Around the basepaths
– While All-Star second baseman Luis Arraez has been a savior to the Philadelphia Phillies’ offense since his arrival, the trade with the San Francisco Giants was nearly squashed.
The Phillies and Giants’ one-for-one deal of Arraez for prospect Ramon Marquez was dead late Sunday night, only for the San Francisco Giants to re-engage late in the night.
The trade discussion expanded to include Phillies reliever prospect Marty Gair and Giants reliever Caleb Killian when the two sides finally agreed to a deal, pending physicals.
And now, the Phillies couldn’t be more ecstatic by the immediate results.
Arraez, the first player to lead the league in hitting to be traded at the deadline, is everything the Phillies could have possibly imagined as their new cleanup hitter with a .922 OPS the first four games.
“He’s going to be great there," Padres starter Robbie Ray, Arraez’s former teammate in San Francisco, tells USA TODAY Sports. “He’s the definition of a professional. Obviously, he is who he is at the plate. It’s no secret with the batting titles. He works hard, and he cares. He puts the effort in and you can see it. It’s no like he’s just out there Cadillac-ing it.
“He’s the ultimate professional. They’re going to love him.’’
– Kudos to Phillies All-Star Bryce Harper, because if he doesn’t volunteer to move from first base to the outfield to make room for Arraez, the trade doesn’t happen. “I love first base. I love being on the infield …’’ Harper told reporters. “But I want to win. I want to win more than anybody. Hopefully it helps. I think it’s helped us obviously get the guy that we needed … Any chance that we have an opportunity to win, I’d do anything for this organization. And they know that."
– Rival executives still can’t understand why the Detroit Tigers didn’t wait until the last few hours of the trade deadline to move ace Tarik Skubal, driving the price up even further for the Dodgers or perhaps forcing the Milwaukee Brewers to raise their offer. "Their return package was fine," one executive said, "but why not wait? They could have at least bluffed to see if they could get more."
– The Tigers also are being criticized by their peers for even trading Skubal and Mize, knowing how weak the AL Central is this year. They have the second-best record in the American League since June 1 (34-22), and have outscored the opposition by 119 runs in that stretch. They entered Saturday just 2 games back in the wild-card race, and 3 ½ games out in the division. “It’s going to be embarrassing to them if they make the playoffs,’’ one GM said, “knowing that if they got in with Skubal and Mize, they could be playing in the World Series. They gave up any chance to go deep."
– While the Athletics announced that GM David Forst’s departure was a mutual agreement, the truth is that it was an old-fashioned firing with their 45-70 record and second-half collapse. Forst was on the final year of his contract, anyway, and had told friends privately that he was not going to relocate to Las Vegas when the team moved there in 2028. The A’s will immediately begin a search for a full-time GM. Dave Stewart, the former four-time 20-game winner and World Series MVP whose number is retired by the A’s, certainly is deserving of serious consideration. Stewart, a former GM with the Arizona Diamondbacks and assistant GM with the Toronto Blue Jays, is an A’s special assistant, and after working with the minor leaguers for the past two years, knows the organization as well as anyone.
– The National League MVP award could come down to simply whether Shohei Ohtani takes the mound again for the Dodgers. If Ohtani, who hasn’t pitched since July 3, returns to the mound, he’ll win his fifth MVP award. If Ohtani stays as a DH, and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong continues to play like he is, he’ll become the first Cubs player to win the MVP since Kris Bryant in 2016.
– Just how hot are the Boston Red Sox? They are 32-5 since June 25, and 27-3 since July 3. And from July 7-Aug. 6, they went 16-0 against four likely postseason teams: the Yankees, Rays, Dodgers and White Sox. Incredibly, they 15 ½ games behind the Yankees in the AL East standings on June 24. They are just one-half game back of the Yankees headed into Saturday night. And to think, they are doing all of this with outfieler Roman Anthony last playing May 4 and Cy Young runner-up Garret Crochet last pitching on April 25.
– New Dodgers starter Tarik Skubal was impressed enough with the Dodgers having their own players-only plane, but was blown away by their clubhouse. "I can’t believe how big that is," Skubal said. "I went to look for the hot tub, and wound up in the batting cage."
– Congratulations to Gary Matthews Sr., Ralph Garr, Reggie Smith and Andre Thornton, who will be inducted September into the Negro Leagues Baseball Hall of Fame Museum.
– While Atlanta was rebuffed in its attempt to land Jacob deGrom of the Texas Rangers, who was unwilling to waive his no-trade rights, they were among the teams that also tried to land San Francisco Giants All-Star pitcher Logan Webb. The Giants declined to move him with two years still remaining on his contract. "He's a guy that I think we all see as somebody that can mentor the next wave of pitchers that come through San Francisco," Buster Posey, president of baseball operations, told reporters. "And yes, I do think there's still a chance, as bad as this year has been, that we can be a team that's in contention."
– The Boston Red Sox tried to convince the Cincinnati Reds to trade shortstop Elly de la Cruz, but never came close to acquiring him.
– Kudos to Rasiel Guevara and Jerry Crasnick of the Major League Baseball Players Association for launching a history project celebrating the union’s 60-year anniversary with podcast interviews ("Stitch x Stitch") from former greats. They are releasing a new podcast with Cubs Hall of Famers Ferguson Jenkins, Andre Dawson and Lee Smith.
– If Aaron Judge does return for the Yankees, just how productive will he be after being out since May 31? Certainly, they’re not the same team without the big guy. They are 29-28 in his absence, ranking last in batting average (.219), last in on-base percentage (.283) and 27th in OPS (.669), averaging 3.9 runs a game compared to 5.2 before Judge went on the IL.
– It’s time for the Yankees to trade former prized prospect Jasson Dominguez, but rival clubs insist that his trade value has plummeted.
– Veteran pitcher Shelby Miller has been impressing scouts watching him in the Arizona Complex League, and believe that he could help the Chicago Cubs in the bullpen if they have a need in September. Miller, who signed a two-year, $2.5 million contract in the spring, is coming from undergoing surgery last October for a torn right UCL and flexor tendon.
– Infielder Marcelo Mayer, dumped by the Boston Red Sox at the trade deadline and subjected to erroneous off-the-field gossip rumors, is thrilled that he’s now with the San Francisco Giants and is eagerly looking forward to working with infield guru Ron Washington.
– Fans of the Cubs, White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks frequently see insurance agent Jeff Vukovich’s TV and radio ads, but what they don’t realize is that he is one of the most successful amateur baseball coaches in the country. Vukovich just led the Lombard Orioles to their fourth National American Baseball Federation championship since he began coaching the team in 1992, with former major-league pitcher Tim Stoddard as his pitching coach the past 10 years. Vukovich has had 60 players drafted from his team, and 14 who reached the major leagues during his tenure, including Jerry Hairston Jr., J.A. Happ, George Kontos and Colin Holderman.
– Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable looked like a lock virtually all season for the American League manager of the year award. Then, along came the Red Sox historic surge, and now Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy is the favorite heading into the final six weeks.
– The Seattle Mariners insist they were never interested in trading starter George Kirby, but did listen to offers for starter Emerson Hancock.
– Los Angeles Angels interim GM John Mozeliak says that he hasn’t conveyed to ownership that he wants to stay in the same role, but it certainly sounds like he wants to keep the job. "It’s fun being back in the game," he said. "I didn’t realize how much I missed it."
– Is there anyone out there who doesn’t believe that Skubal will be signing a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers? He’s already talking like a lifelong Dodger. "I don’t really sympathize with people that blame the Dodgers for anything they’ve done," Skubal says. "They’ve developed a really good organization. They draft well. They acquire talent really well. They retain talent. It’s a winning organization. … I don’t really sympathize with people that are complaining, because the Dodgers do all the right things."
Yet, while Skubal is correct saying that any team could have traded for him, the truth is that only the Dodgers have the financial might and prospect capital to acquire Skubal without really taking a gamble. If it somehow doesn’t work out, the Dodgers still are perfectly fine, just like with Kyle Tucker struggling in right field on a $60 million-a-year contract and starter Blake Snell pitching only 64 innings since signing his five-year, $182 million contract. But if Skubal didn’t work out for the Milwaukee Brewers, who finished runner-up in the trade talks, and they didn’t advance deep into October, it would be a disaster.
– Did the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have a $106 million payroll, really need to have the New York Mets pay $8.1 million of reliever Luke Weaver’s remaining $13.4 million to make the deal? The Pirates are paying Weaver just $228,414 this season. And you wonder why fellow owners get incensed wondering what the Pirates are doing with all of their revenue sharing proceeds, with the Dodgers kicking in an estimated $200 million into the pool.
– On the flip side, after engineering a firesale at the trade deadline a year ago, the Minnesota Twins added $8.35 million to their payroll with their three trades.
– The Chicago Cubs can thank the New York Mets’ medical department for acquiring Clay Holmes. Holmes was on his way to the Arizona Diamondbacks until the Mets flagged the medical reports of one of their prospects, and pivoted to the Cubs.
– The most bewildering team in baseball is the Seattle Mariners. How in the world can they be 56-61 with that starting rotation and all of that star power, even with AL MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh looking like a shell of himself compared to a year ago.
– What an unbelievable day for the Lombard family with George Lombard Jr. hitting a home run in his first game with the Yankees, and younger brother, Jacob, homering in his first professional game with the Class A Jupiter Hammerheads of the Miami Marlins organization.
– Kudos to Astros GM Dana Brown, knowing that job is in severe jeopardy, by not mortgaging the future by trading prospects to save his job. "I have a job and I have to live with myself," he told reporters. "If I’m not here next year, I’m going to be somewhere else, and I want to come across as a person that values the organization you’re working for. I think it’s the right thing to do."
– Congratulations to Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson, who will start his 900th consecutive game Sunday. It’s the second-longest streak since 2000, and the eighth-longest streak in baseball history.
– Perhaps the most surprised player at the trade deadline was Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, who conceded that he was sure he wouldn’t be wearing a Red Sox uniform after Aug. 3. "To be honest, I thought I was going to be released," Duran told reporters. "I am the worst player in MLB statistically. I hate looking at the numbers but when you’re going bad, you look at the numbers and it was pretty obvious how bad I was. I thought I was going to be released.
– There were 18 starting pitchers traded at the deadline, including eight who would start the first three games of a potential playoff series.
– The Orioles' trade of Adley Rutschman, their former No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft, certainly is an admission that they made a huge blunder in the draft. They passed on Bobby Witt Jr., who has become one of the greatest players in the game with the Kansas City Royals.
– The Cleveland Guardians a a huge haul at the deadline, acquiring All-Star pitcher Foster Griffin from Washington, outfielder Jo Adell from the Angels, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe from the Reds, and reliever Craig Yoho and outfielder Blake Perkins from the Milwaukee Brewers. So how di the Guardians respond? They got swept by the woeful Mets at home.
– San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman is expected to undergo season-ending surgery for a sports hernia this week, all but ending any shot of the Giants trading him away during the winter. Chapman, who still has four years left on his six-year, $151 million contract, hit just .235 with seven homers and 42 RBI.
– Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin, who was being booed out of Boston when he was hitting .172 with a .499 OPS in his first 49 games, has suddenly turned into Wade Boggs. He’s slashing .309/.369/.517 with 10 homers and 27 RBIs his last 58 games.
– If the Red Sox win the pennant, they owe a playoff share to Cardinals GM Chaim Bloom, who traded Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras to his former team.
– The Brewers certainly put in a competitive offer for Skubal, including three top 100 prospects centered around prized shortstop Luis Pena, the 18th-best prospect in baseball, but came away empty-handed. It will come back to haunt them, says Hall of Famer CC Sabathia, who ended the Brewers’ 26-year playoff drought in 2008 when he was acquired from Cleveland. "The No. 1 thing I thought about was that the Brewers kind of blew it," Sabathia said on his show, "MLB According to CC." "I felt like (Los Angeles) was the only spot he could go to that would ruin the Brewers season. The Brewers have been the best team kind of all summer, but I think this trade kind of breaks their back."
– Congratulations to Ozzie Guillen, the only White Sox manager to win a World Series since 1917, who became the first White Sox manager to have his number (13) retired Saturday night.
– It’s only fitting that beloved Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow’s final game will be in their season-finale against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, with Krukow growing up in the Los Angeles area. Dodgers Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully’s final game in 2016 was against the Giants, growing up in New York as a New York Giants’ fan.
– Heartbreaking to see Tommy John send a farewell letter to the Yankees on Old-Timers’ Day Saturday to say his good-byes, and thanking the late Dr. Frank Jobe, late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, and the Yankee organization. John, 83, is in hospice care in Florida.
Follow Bob Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Padres won't apologize for trying to win as other MLB teams are content with mediocrity
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