Padres News: Friars’ GM Hints at Big Trade for Batting Depth Soon

Who could be on the move?

We all knew that it would not be very long until the current slander that is being thrown at your San Diego Padres' players would be shifted towards A.J. Preller, the GM and President of the franchise.

He was the one that gave the green light towards investing most of their cap space into the first four batters of the lineup and essentially hoping that their production would more than cover for the rest of the team.

However, that hasn't exactly worked out just yet seeing that the Friars are near the bottom of the league when it comes to batting averages and strikeout rate along with holding a 20-24 record at the moment.

Padres Manny Machado has been pulled after taking this pitch off the left hand. #bringthegold pic.twitter.com/LcVpQARzcu

— Sports Injury Central (@SICscore) May 16, 2023

Big Trades On The Way?

So at what point will the Padres grow impatient with the team assuring that they'll figure it out eventually. Manny Machado just sustained a hairline fracture and the clubhouse is unsure as to when he'll be back so that is another roadblock they must overcome.

The attention has indeed shifted towards Preller to make some magic happen within the roster and he revealed that depth is the number one priority on his list right now, potentially teasing some trades to come soon.

"We haven't scored runs from the top or bottom of the lineup. You've gotta have some depth there, and both areas we can be better. We're constantly looking to evaluate and address and discuss how we start to see some changes. That's always the conversation."

- AJ Preller

— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) May 19, 2023

"We haven't scored runs from the top or bottom of the lineup," said Preller. "You've gotta have some depth there, and both areas we can be better. We're constantly looking to evaluate and address and discuss how we start to see some changes. That's always the conversation."

(Via 97.3 The Fan)

I do think that rounding out the lineup will be the key and this was bound to be an issue at some point this season. The issues have just been amplified seeing that San Diego's stars haven't been finding success at the plate.

We'll have to see how these reports play out as the trade deadline looms closer.