San Diego Padres to reportedly be active on MLB trade front, could move Gold Glove winner
San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller knows full well that they must make a couple moves ahead of Opening Day if the team is going to be even able to compete with the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.
With roughly five weeks before San Diego opens its regular season against the Dodgers in South Korea, Preller talked about the need to be active.
“We’re always going to be looking to add and improve,” Preller said, via MLB.com. “The team that starts camp here in the next couple days, it’s not going to be the team that, obviously, we finish with.”
The Padres lost several contributing members from their 2023 roster this offseason, including outfielder Juan Soto and reigning National League Cy Young winner Blake Snell. While San Diego did add pitchers Yuki Matsui, Woo Suk Go and Wandy Peralta in free agency; there are more moves that need to be made.
Utility man Ha-Seong Kim could reportedly be used as bait to bring in another outfielder or starting pitcher ahead of Opening Day. The 2023 Gold Glove winner has been bandied about as a potential piece heading out of town this winter. He’s set to hit free agency after the 2024 season and would draw a nice amount of interest on the trade block.
San Diego Padres still looking to add on MLB trade front
San Diego seemingly has needs in the outfield with veteran Jurickson Profar and Jose Azocar potentially set to see a lot of at-bats.
Acquired in the Soto blockbuster with the New York Yankees, pitchers Michael King and Randy Vasquez are likely set to be members of the Friars’ rotation. We’ll see veterans Joe Musgrave and Yu Darvish as regular members of the rotation, too. That leaves at least one more open spot.
San Diego disappointed this past season to the tune of an 82-80 record after earning a spot in the National League Championship Series in 2022. It’s going to be a tall task competing with the mighty Dodgers in the division. But this doesn’t mean Preller and Co. are not going to be active.
