Trading Deadline Day was a typical workday for workaholic Padres GM-AJ Preller.

He wheeled-dealed, added what he needed, subtracted more from his farm system, and believes he has put his team in prime position to win a wild card playoffs berth and play into October.  And ownership let him take on some (6M) in add on salary which means a higher luxury tax payment too.

That is a far cry from ‘Slaying the Dragon’…the Dodgers, but there’s no doubt the Padres are in a better place at this hour than they were  a day ago, a week ago, a month ago.

In Robbie Ray, the veteran lefthander he got from the Giants, he gets a proven starter with some time left on the clock, pitching smarts and guile, if not blazing speed any longer.  He got the Giants to pick up half the (7M) salary Ray had left on his contract.  Maybe, if this ends up good, Ray might come back here, though it won’t be for the (25M) he made in San Francisco.

And then as the final minutes ticked away, Preller went and paid a big price to get the Tigers young veteran righthander Casey Mize, a warrior type mentality pitcher, who has fought back from injuries to finally reach the potential many thought he could as a former number one draft pick years ago.  At age (29) there’s still time left on his clock if he were to elect  to re-sign in San Diego.  It took him 8-years after being the 1st pick in the draft to become established.  

The price to do business, four more minor leaguers from a depleted farm system.  Kash Mayfield, Miguel Mendez have both flashed some in Class A-AA but they are long ways away, as is SS-Jonial Hernandez in the Dominican Summer League.

Last year Preller swept out 16-players in all, in winning the trading deadline to try and salvage last season, that didn’t quite workout.

In all, Preller has now moved 64-players out of the farm system in 6-years, seeking a chance to be in a World Series.  He has 1-NLCS playoff series to show for everything he has done.

So he has done his job to put together a possible playoff pitching staff.  Michael King, to Robbie Ray, to Casey Mize is solid.  Add in whatever quality innings you get from Walker Buehler.

If the timing is right maybe there are decent starts, limited innings, from Nick Pivetta or Joe Musgrove with hopes of no further elbow setbacks.

Mix in insurance policy outings from German Marquez and Griff Canning, and the load of setup men in the bullpen to get you to Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller.  I like the mix.

And suddenly everything has changed with some 7-weeks left in this playoff chase.  And in that NL wild card race, it is safe to say the Cubs and Phillies will be 1-2 in the wildcard chase.

Pittsburgh and Miami have faded.  That leaves the Padres and Arizona to fight for the final spot, and they play each other 7-times between now and the end of September.

As hot as the Padres are at this hour, let’s be realistic.  They won’t be sending their batting order up against the rag tag pitching staffs they just beat up, the Royals, Rockies, Marlins etc.  Now they seem to have a trustworthy reputation to match up against real teams still to be played.

So Preller did his job.  Time for Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, whomever is in left field, Gavin Sheets and the group of catchers to earn their money and hit, and that means hit against the Yankees and Dodgers star studded rotation that’s coming up still on the schedule.

The Padres took on more payroll and more tax payments.  They have loaded this pitching staff with the hope the hitters will back them up, and this Friars team can go deep into October.

Could you imagine the Padres vs the Dodgers and their Gold-star pitching rotation meeting in late October in the NLCS?

Maybe a chance to go try to ‘Slay the Dragon’. AJ Preller did his best to make it happen. 

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