Trade Deadline Preview: San Diego Padres

Nov 2, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres catcher

against the East during the Fall Stars Game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Since the Padres will be sellers, they won’t be looking to acquire talent to boost their MLB roster right away, they’ll be looking to get young players with plenty of upside as the organization appears to have multiple needs they’ll focus on:

1. Offensive prospects

The team with the worst offense in baseball will have to reconstruct their lineup of the future.  The team has a number of young pitchers who can anchor the rotation for years to come, they just need players who can give them run support.  Austin Hedges and Hunter Renfroe will likely supply some of that punch the Padres will need, but they won’t be enough.

2. Youth and controllability

A team in the current state that the Padres are in, should have no other motive than to acquire as many young and controllable assets as possible.  A huge injection of young talent into this organization could be a significant first step in what could be a lengthy rebuilding process.

3. A clear direction

With the search for a new GM ongoing, the team can only tread water.  Once new leadership is installed, the team can finally embark on a concerted rebuilding effort with a clear philosophy on how to do it.