PEORIA, Ariz. — A.J. Preller didn’t, in reality, sit on his fingers all the way in which till Opening Day. It isn’t his model. It by no means has been.
As a substitute, the San Diego Padres’ president of baseball operations and a large contingent from his entrance workplace sat inside Goodyear Ballpark on Tuesday night time, watching coveted right-hander Dylan Stop rack up eight strikeouts over simply 3 1/3 innings of Cactus League play. They got here away additional satisfied they need to take dramatic motion.
A day later — and solely an hour earlier than their scheduled departure for Seoul, South Korea — Preller and the Padres struck, buying Stop from the Chicago White Sox in trade for reliever Steven Wilson and prospects Drew Thorpe, Jairo Iriarte and Samuel Zavala. The commerce might put an exclamation level on what had been probably the most tepid offseasons in Preller’s almost decade-long tenure as normal supervisor.
“Should you’re going to be critical about successful, which we’re, this was one thing we focused all offseason lengthy,” Preller stated. “Clearly, getting someone of the standard of Dylan Stop, I feel, speaks to the truth that we expect we’ve an opportunity to win and compete.”
Stop sliding into San Diego 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FOC6jkClpD
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 14, 2024
Preller has pulled off equally timed strikes earlier than, together with in April 2015 (Craig Kimbrel) and April 2022 (Sean Manaea and Taylor Rogers). However for months this winter, the Padres seemed to be nearer to retreat than one other main addition.
A franchise that mourned the demise of proprietor Peter Seidler in November traded Juan Soto and Trent Grisham weeks later with out ever providing Soto an extension. San Diego let Blake Snell, Josh Hader, Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo and Nick Martinez stroll in free company. The staff stays skinny within the outfield. And earlier than Wednesday, the membership’s projected payroll was nearly $100 million decrease than it was final summer season, partly a byproduct of possession’s dedication to return to compliance with Main League Baseball’s debt-service rule.
Stop’s arrival — the Padres are planning for the pitcher to rendezvous with them in Seoul — will sign a steadiness between acquainted aggressiveness and less-familiar restraint. The 28-year-old logged a 4.58 ERA final season, however he’s lower than two years faraway from a second-place end in American League Cy Younger Award voting; together with Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove and Michael King, he might give San Diego the most effective beginning quartets within the Nationwide League. In the meantime, Stop is owed an inexpensive $8 million in his second-to-last season earlier than free company. FanGraphs now tasks the Padres at roughly $13 million beneath a luxury-tax line they nonetheless would like to keep away from.
And now, maybe, it’s extra comprehensible why the Padres sat by for a lot of the offseason, whilst they advised some participant brokers they have been working with a decent finances.
“A number of the commerce conversations we have been having, particularly involving Dylan Stop … we needed to ensure we didn’t simply accept gamers on our roster to possibly simply fill a necessity and possibly get someone that has somewhat expertise,” stated Preller, who described having a “working dialogue” with the White Sox from the beginning of the offseason. “We needed to ensure we have been focused with our strategy and intentional with our strikes to provide us an opportunity to do one thing like this in the present day.”
The Padres, in line with Keith Legislation’s most up-to-date rankings, didn’t give up one among their 5 greatest prospects; left-hander Robby Snelling (No. 4) and outfielder Dillon Head (No. 5) have been among the many different younger gamers the White Sox requested about, league sources stated. Preller nonetheless paid what rival evaluators and staff officers alike deemed a steep worth. Iriarte, 22, possesses an electrical arm that may very well be prepared for big-league motion this summer season. Thorpe, a 23-year-old acquired within the Juan Soto commerce, seems even nearer to the majors. Wilson, in the meantime, appeared prone to open the season as one of many Padres’ main setup relievers.
However the Padres, after the departures of Snell, Wacha and Lugo, had been staring on the prospect of failing to fill sufficient innings. Stop has labored greater than 165 innings in every of the previous three seasons and, regardless of subpar command, nonetheless carries front-of-the-rotation upside. As for the bullpen, the Padres are dealing with one thing of a roster crunch, and so they imagine Jeremiah Estrada and others might mix to exchange Wilson.
Preller, too, may not be performed including. League sources say he continues to be energetic within the commerce and free-agent markets for corner-outfield assist — a necessity which may have grown Wednesday after projected Opening Day left fielder Jurickson Profar exited the staff’s Cactus League finale with a “delicate” ankle sprain. Profar will probably be re-evaluated after flying with the Padres to Seoul.
The Padres, in the meantime, nonetheless have solely three outfielders on their 40-man roster, though that quantity is predicted to develop with the possible addition subsequent week of shortstop prospect and budding heart fielder Jackson Merrill. All spring, Merrill has impressed individuals inside and outdoors the group. He has surpassed the expectations of some within the Padres entrance workplace, possible emboldening staff officers to do what they did Wednesday with the White Sox.
“He continues to point out that he’s earned alternative to play, and he continues to earn his alternative to get extra time,” Preller stated.
Nonetheless, Merrill has not but turned 21, has not but logged an official inning in heart discipline and has not performed a lot as 50 video games above A-ball. Wednesday’s blockbuster might find yourself being in useless if the Padres don’t reinforce their outfield. And this complete offseason may very well be rendered irrelevant for Preller if he doesn’t ship a direct winner. Simply final month, Padres interim management individual Eric Kutsenda raised eyebrows across the recreation by praising Preller’s eye for expertise whereas additionally mentioning he could be held to a excessive normal in 2024.
Ultimately, the final supervisor was by no means going to sit down nonetheless.
(Prime photograph of Dylan Stop: Jamie Sabau / Getty Photos)