Padres are rapidly approaching this trade deadline reality

The trade deadline might still be two months away, but it should never be too early for AJ Preller to start thinking about the trade market. That's because the Padres are quickly heading towards a trade deadline reality. They need to be aggressive.

The Dodgers are already making moves. Today, it was reported that former all-star closer Alexis Diaz is being traded from the Reds to the Dodgers. That might not feel like a big move in a vacuum, and that's because it probably isn't. Diaz is in Triple-A, after all, and has fallen off a cliff since 2023. But given the wider picture, it's clear that the Dodgers are getting a jumpstart on finding ways to improve their team.

Despite being billed as the greatest team of all time, the Dodgers are vulnerable, and the Padres are within striking distance. Los Angeles is 34-22, but after their 8-0 start, they are just 26-22. San Diego, at 31-23, is just 24-23 since their own 7-0 start.

The point is that these are both flawed teams. The Giants, at 31-25, are also a flawed team, but are only three games behind the Dodgers, and still lurking in the division race. It is clear that the Padres will need to find ways to get ahead of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The Padres need to consider where they stand. Yes, they hold a Wild Card spot, but are only a game ahead of the Giants, and teams like Milwaukee (3.5 back), Arizona (5 back) and Atlanta (6 back) feel like sleeping giants who could awake at any time.

If San Diego wants to secure their playoff positioning and continue to challenge the Dodgers for an NL West title, they will once again need to be aggressive at the deadline. It likely means beefing up the starting rotation and finding another reliable starting pitcher and it certainly means beefing up the lineup.

San Diego continues to be a middle of the road team when it comes to scoring runs. The Friars are 16th in runs scored and 14th in team OPS, which is good, but not good enough to overcome the Dodgers, who are second in both categories.

The Padres could use another outfielder and a designated hitter. There will be players available, as there are each season, and the reality for San Diego is that if they are unable to go out and improve at the deadline, they will once again be left behind in August by the Dodgers. Because Los Angeles is not playing around. The Dodgers want to win, and if the Padres can not keep up, they will be left in the dust.