San Diego Padres Zig, When Other MLB Teams Zag

SAN DIEGO, CA – AUGUST 02: Ryan O’Hearn #32 of the San Diego Padres looks on prior to the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Saturday, August 2, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ryan Levy/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

MLB Photos via Getty Images

Most Major League Baseball teams are enamored by Minor League Baseball prospects.

In fact, in today’s MLB, prospects are a type of currency, to be moved around in hopes of finding organizational success.

MLB.com indicates that seven of the Top 30 ranked San Diego prospects were traded during the 2025 MLB trade deadline frenzy. Three of those prospects were ranked in the MLB.com Top 100.

The San Diego Padres are different.

While other teams were zigging, the Padres were zagging.

The Padres have chosen a different route to get to the World Series.

The Padres traded top prospects for veterans, coloring a bit outside the current MLB lines.

The Padres are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to overcome the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League west.

Led by President of Baseball Operations, A.J. Preller, the Padres hope their different approach at the trade deadline pays off.

How is it going so far?

From August 1-August 7, the Padres went 4-2. They began August 8 being 2 games behind the division leading Dodgers.

In discussing recent trade deals at or near the July 31 trade deadline, USA Today said, “When the smoke cleared from Preller’s phone at the end of the day, he had traded.. nine of the Top 30 in the organization.”

Among the prospects traded was Leo De Vries, their No. 1 ranked prospect.

A switch-hitter, De Vries, an 18-year-old shortstop, was playing at Class-A Advanced Fort Wayne. He was traded to the Athletics for star right-handed closer, Mason Miller, and left-handed starter, JP Sears.

Sears has since been sent to Triple-A.

Miller, 26, won’t be a free agent until 2030.

brooksbaseball.net lists Miller throwing his four-seam fastball at 102.15 miles per hour. He also throws a slider.

Other top prospects moved by the Padres at the trade deadline included:

-RHP Brandon Nett (No. 3 ranked prospect) to the Athletics

-LHP Boston Bateman (No. 6) to the Orioles

-IF Cobb Hightower (No. 9) to the Orioles

-RHP Henry Baez (No. 13) to the Athletics

-RHP Tyson Neighbors (No 16) to the Orioles

-RHP Eduarniel Nunez (No. 17) to the Athletics

Five top Padres pitching prospects now wear a different organizational uniform. Three veteran pitchers came in return.

Many MLB organizations not only covet prospects, but they are in a constant search for prospect pitchers, making the Padres moves different than the norm.

Major league RHP Stephen Kolek, and OF Brandon Lockridge were also included in trades.

In return for emptying their farm system of top minor league players, in addition to Miller and Spears, the Padres added:

Ramon Laureano-OF from the Orioles

Ryan O’Hearn-IF/OF from the Orioles

Freddy Fermin-C from the Royals

Nestor Cortes-LHP from the Brewers

Jorge Quintana-SS from the Brewers (prospect)

Wil Wagner-INF from the Blue Jays

As Preller told MLB.com, “The expectation with this group is always to go win a ring, go win a championship.”

fangraphs.com lists the current estimated 2025 Padres payroll to be $217M, still well under the MLB Luxury Tax thresholds.

In comparison, their division rival Los Angeles Dodgers have an estimated 2025 payroll of $396M, well above the $301M maximum fourth threshold of the Luxury Tax system.

Conclusions:

The New York Post printed an interesting list of quality prospects traded under A.J. Preller with San Diego.

In addition to De Vries this year, the list includes such notable names as:

Trea Turner (2014)

Emmanuel Clase (2018)

Josh Naylor (2020)

Gabriel Arias (2020)

Andres Munoz (2020)

Max Fried (2021)

James Wood (2022)

McKenzie Gore (2022)

CJ Abrams (2022)

Every team takes risks in trading prospects. Will the player become a star? Will the return catapult the team to the promised land?

This year, the Padres, and A.J. Preller have gone “all in” to catch the Dodgers.

Will the rewards exceed the risks of losing top prospects?

We’ll know soon enough if the zigging pays off? So far, so good.