A.J. Preller reveals Padres' trade deadline plans but fans want more

It's fair to suggest that all San Diego Padres fans want their front office to have some urgency. This season, the Friars have juggled several long-term injuries with a few weak spots on the roster -- and yet, they are still in the playoff hunt.

With that said, it is clear that San Diego needs to cement a few moves ahead of the 2025 trade deadline. Just this past weekend, Padres President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller jumped on MLB Network Radio to discuss the state of the team...and well, Padres fans aren't too thrilled about what he had to say.

Basically, Preller and his team are targeting "a bat or two" -- which is not all that reassuring. San Diego has made a few big splashes in recent years, like trading for Juan Soto and Tanner Scott. It's pretty obvious that this club needs a left fielder, a catcher, and ideally one more starting pitcher.

Padres fans love Gavin Sheets, but he should not be playing left field every night. He is more suited for a DH role or splitting time at first base. There are plenty of options for left field, and for all we know, Preller's comments may be directed towards fixing that spot.

As for catchers, trading for someone at this position will be much tougher. There aren't too many consistent offensive catchers, and for the ones who do exist, they will cost a pretty penny. Martin Maldonado and Elias Diaz are not getting it done, though, and something needs to be fixed at catcher before it's too late.

San Diego's rotation is pretty solid, but with the injury bug ripping right through the staff, it's difficult to feel confident about where they stand going into the postseason. Yu Darvish just returned, which is tremendous news. Will the Padres get a lot of him? It's too early to tell. Will Michael King return to full health this season? That's another question that remains without a clear answer. This tells us that there are still some holes in the starting rotation.

The Padres are a few moves away from being a legitimate postseason contender, but the front office cannot be too lackadaisical once the deadline approaches. It's good that they feel confident with the current players, but they definitely need more help if they want to get by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs.