When the rolls around, president of baseball operations is usually on the hunt for a big deal. And why not? Preller has developed a farm system, regularly ranked in the top five in MLB, that can attract other teams looking to move stars. At the past four deadlines, the Padres have acquired superstars such as and and solid supporting players such as and .
took a different approach to its moves this season, yet they're now the hottest team in baseball, having gone 16-4 since the All-Star break with their eyes firmly on the postseason heading into against the . Relievers were the name of the game for the Padres at the deadline, as they acquired right-hander from the and southpaw , as well as the best reliever available in left-hander , from the . The Padres already had a respectable bullpen before those moves, with left-handers and having career years along with newcomer .
The Padres are led in the backend by electric closer . The additions of Adam, Hoeing and Scott provide a level of depth that not many teams around baseball can match, and that sets San Diego up well for a run to the postseason. During the playoffs, especially in the past 20 years, bullpens are critical in determining a team’s success or failure.
The leash on starters gets shorter in October, leaving a team’s relief core to cover more outs, with high-leverage situations often coming early in games. Having Adam, Scott and Suarez to cover the seventh, eighth and ninth innings is a luxury that any team would l.