The San Diego Padres will enter August having acquired one of Major League Baseball's most sought-after pitchers, according to one insider.
The Padres entered Tuesday just a half game back for the third and final spot in the National League Wild Card race. San Diego is looking to buy before the trade deadline in order to provide its roster with the means to gain some separation in a crowded NL.
Although the Padres have made their prized prospect Ethan Salas untouchable in any trade discussions, San Diego's general manager A.J. Preller is still intent on making a splash.
The Padres are highly interested in the best starting pitchers that the market has to offer, and The Athletic's Dennis Lin believes that San Diego will ultimately succeed in trading for arguably the best starter on that market: Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox.
Lin predicted on Tuesday that Preller will be able to present the White Sox with an enticing enough prospect package to beat out all other competitors vying for Crochet's services.
"General manager A.J. Preller has been after Crochet for at least a couple of months, apparently undeterred by workload concerns surrounding the White Sox All-Star," Lin said. "With stiff competition from such teams as the Dodgers and Orioles, the Padres would need to fork over premium prospect capital. (Leodalis) De Vries, a highly regarded teenage shortstop, can headline a requisite package."
San Diego's willingness to part ways with De Vries signals their belief that the 2024 iteration of their team is ready to seriously compete in the playoffs. If Preller is able to pull off a deal for Crochet, no one is going to want to face the Padres in the NL playoffs.
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