The Padres need to trade for power

If the Padres don't want the summer to be about them losing position in the division, they can't wait around for Fernando Tatis Jr.

When Manny Machado injured his ankle in Colorado, there were 26 full games left between then and the all-star break. Almost all of them against NL West opponents. On Padres Hot Tub, I referred to these games as “everything”.

Since then, Manny avoided a trip to the IL and the Padres have gone 8-11. Although, that spell started with a sweep of the Diamondbacks, so they’ve also gone 4-10 in their last 14 games.

What the team is doing now is, simply, not enough. I know I was the one telling them to lean into their identity of pitching and defense, and in some ways they have, but the offense isn’t going to survive riding on Manny’s back anymore.

Despite hitting two crucial HRs against the Giants, Manny is batting just .130 over his last 7 games and has struck out in 10 out of 23 ABs. He’s giving the Padres everything he’s got, but it’s not enough to be an offense on his own like it was earlier in the season. Also, now that temperatures are going up, other offenses are putting up more runs than they were in April and May.

The Padres scored 9 runs over 4 games against the Giants, or 2.25 runs per game. That’s enough to be semi-competitive, but not enough to be consistently in a position to win. Not when the bullpen is giving up runs every night.

I don’t envy the position A.J. Preller is in right now. His team is in a position where they have to go for it, they have to be buyers around the trade deadline, and what they need is….a lot. Here’s a (probably partial) list of what Preller is shopping for:

• A power hitter that can play good defense

• A first baseman that can play good defense (ideally, one that can hit for power)

• A team that is willing to take salary in the form of Eric Hosmer and/or Wil Myers to create room underneath the CBT

• A centerfielder that can both defense and hit

• Maybe a right fielder with some power?

• A closer and maybe more bullpen help on top of that

• A catcher that can both throw runners out and hit (preferably for power)

Maybe it would’ve been easier to create a list of stuff that A.J. Preller doesn’t need to find in the trade market this year. Let me try that instead:

• Starting pitching

• 3B/SS/2B help

• Left fielder

• Backup catcher

Now, we know Preller isn’t going to get everything he needs at the deadline. If he’s smart, he won’t even try to get everything. But he has to start somewhere, and if you weren’t paying attention earlier, that should probably be acquiring a power bat.

Over the last 6 games, the Padres rank last in extra-base hits and home runs. Last! On the season, they rank 25th in home runs and 23rd in OPS. 15th would be average.

As it somehow always does, Petco Park has turned the San Diego Padres into a spunky team that just can’t hit the ball out of the park no matter what they do. And, when they’ve been in this position in previous years, trading for guys that can hit for power in other MLB ballparks is usually a recipe for acquiring a guy that’s going to strike out a ton and hit a bunch of lazy fly balls at Petco Park.

Do I have a broader point? No. Am I tired of watching the Padres struggle to hit HRs for the last (*checking my watch*) 25 years or so? I am! Does the team need to pull off a trade over the next four weeks to hold off the San Francisco Giants? Probably.