A year ago the Padres put together arguably the most incredible series of deals ever seen at the MLB trade deadline, bringing in superstars like Juan Soto and Josh Hader. This year they did not do that. They didn't need to. They already have plenty of All-Stars.
This team doesn't have a talent problem. It has a chemistry problem. So, they addressed that by adding two of the most well-respected "glue guys" in the game. San Diego acquired LHP Rich Hill and 1B/DH Ji Man Choi from the Pirates for a trio of prospects: LHP Jackson Wolf, IF Alfonso Rivas, and OF Estuar Suero. None of them are ranked in the top 15 prospects in the San Diego system.
Hill is 43 years old, in his 19th big league season, and about to play for his 13th MLB team (only fellow pitcher and temporary Padre Edwin Jackson has played for more, with 14). He's earned the reputation as one of the game's great competitors and, while he's not going to light up the radar gun or throw a no-hitter, he's going to eat innings and that's something the Padres talented but thin starting rotation could really use.
Choi likely slots into a DH spot against right-handed pitching. He spent three months on the Injured List with an Achilles tendon injury but came back a couple of weeks ago and has raked with a .930 OPS and four home runs in 14 games. While neither player is a household name, they're both beloved by fellow players as true clubhouse leaders.
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Then, just after the deadline ended, a couple more last-minute deals were announced. San Diego sent lefty Ryan Weathers, a former 1st round pick who hasn't been able to find consistency at the big league level, to the Marlins for infielder Garrett Cooper and minor league pitcher Sean Reynolds. Cooper is a right-handed hitter who's shown power potential (he was an All-Star in 2022) but had trouble staying healthy throughout his career with nine trips to the Injured List.
They also made a move for Royals closer Scott Barlow, who saved 13 games for Kansas City. Barlow has good stuff but run into a tough stretch of late, pitching to a 9.00 ERA in July. He could benefit from leaving the 9th inning. The Padres will ask him to handle 6th or 7th inning duties as they add some length to a bullpen that's struggled to hold leads. In return the Friars gave up Henry Williams, a right-handed pitcher currently at Single-A Lake Elsinore who's ranked as their 10th-best prospect, and pitcher Jesus Rios, a 21-year-old in the Dominican Summer League.
Yes, all of these additions address needs on the field. But adding these particular players is not just about what they bring on the field. It sure feels like general manager AJ Preller understands the lack of ... something that numbers and analytics have yet to define.
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The Padres have the third-best run differential in the National League. They SHOULD be flirting with 60 wins and in control of a playoff spot. Instead they're 0-10 in extra innings and 6-18 in games decided by one run. This collection of stars simply has not found that "It Factor" that leads to success in close games. Perhaps they found that ingredient with a pair of veterans who've played in the World Series and would like nothing more than to get back again in San Diego.
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