It’s a tale of two different teams. The Boston Red Sox reside in last place in the American League East with an 11-22 record. The upstart San Diego Padres boast a surprising 20-15 record and are in contention in the National League West.
These two teams pulled off a blockbuster trade ahead of Monday’s deadline, with San Diego acquiring All-Star first baseman Mitch Moreland from Boston for prospects Hudson Potts and Jeisson Rosario.
The deal comes shortly after San Diego picked up veteran reliever Trevor Rosenthal in a separate trade with the Kansas City Royals. The team is also reportedly now in on adding a starting pitcher and a catcher ahead of Monday’s trade deadline.
Padres appear to be going all in at the MLB trade deadline
The move to acquire Moreland from Boston cost the Padres their 16th (Potts) and 19th (Rosario) ranked prospects, according to MLB.com. That’s a pretty high price to pay for a soon-to-be 35-year-old slugger who is not guaranteed to be in Southern California beyond the 2021 season.
Though, Moreland will pack a punch in an improved and talented Padres lineup. An All-Star with the Sox back in 2018, he’s hitting .328 with eight homers, 21 RBI and a 1.177 OPS in 22 games this season. Moreland posted a .252 average with 19 homers and 58 RBI last season.
It’s more than likely that Moreland will take over as the Padres’ designated hitter. Tommy Pham was leading the charge in that role, but is currently on the injured list after starting the season with a mere .207 average and .608 OPS. This is a dramatic upgrade.
Adding Moreland to the mix with NL MVP candidate Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers is no small accomplishment for Padres general manager A. J. Preller.
It’s a clear indication that the up-and-coming team is going all in this season. San Diego’s 20-15 record has it five games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. The team boasts the best record among second-place teams in the league, meaning it would be guaranteed a playoff spot if the postseason started today.