Don't look now but the San Diego Padres are looking like a real playoff threat.
San Diego has been hot lately and continued to shine on Thursday with ace Dylan Cease tossing his first career no-hitter against the Washington Nationals. There's a lot to like about this Padres team and they also are starting to get healthier too.
If the Padres could add another starter to the top of the rotation, they could be a serious playoff threat. With the trade deadline quickly approaching, there has been speculation all over the place about who possibly could be on the move. Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer even mentioned San Diego as a possible landing spot for Detroit Tigers superstar Tarik Skubal.
"The Detroit Tigers ace is arguably the best pitcher in Major League Baseball, and he's undeniably the best player available in this last week before the July 30 trade deadline," Rymer said. "The following should be written on parchment or carved in limestone: If any kind of big trade is any kind of possibility, the Padres must not be ruled out.
"Making big trades is kind of A.J. Preller's thing, as his track record includes the first Juan Soto megadeal and, more recently, the Luis Arraez trade from back in May. He is nominally San Diego's president of baseball operations and general manager, but he might as well have a business card that reads 'Chief Wheeler-Dealer.' Preller has reportedly had his eye on another ace lefty in Garrett Crochet, so why not Skubal as well?"
Skubal is unlikely to be traded, but if Detroit changes its mind, San Diego should put in a call. He is the frontrunner to take home the 2024 American League Cy Young Award and immediately would give the Padres one of the top rotations in all of baseball.
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