San Diego Padres history: 5 notable trades from the month of August

August 31, 2020: Cleveland Guardians send Mike Clevinger, Greg Allen and Matt Waldron to the Padres for Gabriel Arias, Josh Naylor, Austin Hedges, Owen Miller, Cal Quantrill and Joey Cantillo

At the 2020 trade deadline, the Friars were searching for a quality starting pitcher who could provide length on the mound and limit the use of the bullpen on their start day. Preller targeted Cleveland Guardians Mike Clevinger as the missing piece to the Padres starting rotation. But in due time, the trade would be deemed a major mistake.

Excitement surrounded this trade as the Padres had acquired one of the top right-handers in baseball at the deadline. Scouts loved Clevinger’s makeup on the mound. He kept his composure, even with runners in scoring position. Often, Clevinger made his pitches to get out of tough situations.

But soon after the trade, he was sidelined with a bicep injury that led to Tommy John surgery. The recovery time was long, but Clevinger could never return to his level of excellence in a Padres uniform.