It is almost time for teams to make a big decision.
The MLB trade deadline is 29 days away and each team has to make a decision as to whether they will buy or sell at the trade deadline. Some teams may arrive at that choice much easier than other teams.
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For the San Diego Padres, the decision is tough, but they may end up leaning on buying. San Diego is 45-39 and just 0.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the final wild card spot in the NL. The issue is that it is a crowded race for the wild card spots. Seven teams are separated between just 5.0 games from the No. 4 seed down to the 10th place team in the pennant.
In a Fansided article from Mark Powell, Powell named a player from all 30 MLB teams that is the leading trade candidate. Powell quotes a team writer for each team in his story.
Powell listed minor league pitcher Braden Nett as the two most likely players the Padres will deal at the deadline on July 31, quoting Chris Landers of Fansided.
“This isn’t the deepest farm system, and the team is loath to touch its top two prospects, shortstop Leo de Vries and catcher Ethan Salas. But a pitcher like Braden Nett could intrigue rebuilding teams at the deadline; he’s finally gotten his control issues a bit more under control at Double-A this season, and his stuff has never been in question,” Landers wrote.
Nett has pitched solidly in Double-A this season for the San Antonio Missions. Nett is 5-3 with an ERA of 3.11 and 76 strikeouts.