Why Padres trading for Tigers star Tarik Skubal is…
The Padres have arguably one of the most aggressive president of baseball operations in the game.
A.J. Preller isn’t afraid to take the leap when it comes to Major League Baseball’s commerce deadline. Last summer time, the Padres made the deal of the deadline when Preller acquired Mason Miller from the Athletics.
Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has earned a popularity for being aggressive during MLB’s commerce deadline. USA TODAY Sports
The return package deal was maybe the most stunning half of the commerce; the Padres despatched top prospect Leo De Vries and three other prospects to the Athletics. The transfer signaled the Padres’ want to make a deep playoff run, and a number of insiders believed that would also be the case in 2026.
A few weeks in the past, the Padres have been thought of early favorites to land Tigers ace Tarik Skubal in a blockbuster commerce. But San Diego’s slumping offense has given the Skubal hypothesis cause to pause.
The Padres’ offense ranks last in batting average, OPS, runs and complete bases. Though Preller is an aggressive GM, his pursuit of Skubal could also be futile if the lineup stays stagnant.
MLB insider Jeff Passan believes the dearth of offensive manufacturing may hinder the Padres’ deadline plans.
“I think the Padres’ deadline is going to be fascinating this year because when you are in the same league as the Dodgers and the Braves and the Phillies and the Brewers… the National League is stacked. It’s an impressive group of teams. If you’re A.J. Preller and you see the way that your offense has operated this year and you look at the top of your rotation, do you go get Tarik Skubal?” Passan said on “Foul Territory.”
Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is the crown jewel of this summer time’s MLB commerce deadline. Getty Images
“I believe if Ethan Salas is in a commerce, at very least, Scott Harris and Detroit, the president of baseball operations there, has to hear because he may probably be the best prospect that will get supplied. But is it price renting Tarik Skubal for a crew like this? A crew that has flaws. Or do you look at it and say, you recognize what, the reality is if we’ve Tarik Skubal, if we’ve Michael King, if we’ve this bullpen, we are able to exit and beat anyone. But the Padres have mortgaged their farm system so a lot in latest years.
“I just don’t know if this is the Padres team that’s going to go out and chase.”
For a crew just like the Padres with offensive flaws, is it price giving up a haul to rent Tarik Skubal?”I just don’t know if this is the Padres team that’s going to go out and chase,” says @JeffPassan. pic.twitter.com/rjKJQwozod— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 17, 2026
Despite profitable the deadline last summer time, the Padres made an early postseason exit in 2025 with a loss in the wild-card spherical to the Cubs. As the commerce deadline attracts nearer, it stays to be seen whether or not Preller will go all in as the Padres’ bats search for solutions this summer time.
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