Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller was as busy as anyone on July 31.

The Padres made five trades before the deadline, with 22 players changing teams during the transactions.

The list of exported prospects includes High-A shortstop Leo De Vries, formerly the system’s top talent, along with lefthander Boston Bateman, shortstop Cobb Hightower, first baseman Victor Figueroa and a raft of righthanders: Braden Nett, Ryan Bergert, Eduarniel Nuñez, Henry Baez and Tyson Neighbors.

The Padres believe that 18-year-old Venezuelan shortstop Jorge Quintana, whom they acquired along with big league lefty Nestor Cortes Jr. when they traded Brandon Lockridge to the Brewers, is more than a throw-in.

“You get back Nestor Cortes,” Preller said, “but getting back Quintana was a real part of that deal, getting a young player who we feel has an opportunity to learn and develop in the system.”

The switch-hitting Quintana was certainly a priority for the Brewers in the 2024 international signing class. Milwaukee signed him for $1.7 million, more than any international amateur they signed that year, including top prospects Jesus Made and Luis Peña.

Quintana played for the Brewers’ Arizona Complex League affiliate this year, batting .264/.349/.403 with three home runs and 19 stolen bases in 50 games. The Padres promoted him to Low-A Lake Elsinore after the trade.

Padres vice president of pro scouting Pete DeYoung was among the executives who got eyes on the projectable, 6-foot-2, 185-pound Quintana.

“(DeYoung) was super excited in terms of getting a younger player who had gotten some attention as an amateur,” Preller said, “somebody who’s shown some ability to control the strike zone, has the ability to put bat on ball. When you look at the frame, (Padres scouts) feel like there’s some room to grow.

“And obviously we moved some players in our system from a prospect standpoint that ultimately left some more opportunity.”

FATHER FIGURES

— Double-A San Antonio catcher Ethan Salas, the top prospect left in the Padres’ system, has been cleared to return to baseball activity. He has been sidelined since April with a stress reaction in the lower right side of his back. The question is whether there’s enough runway in the minor league season for Salas to rejoin the Missions this year or if his ramp-up will be aimed at playing in the Arizona Fall League or in a Latin American winter league.

— Among the post-trade deadline promotions, righthanders Miguel Mendez, Eric Yost and Garrett Hawkins were pushed to Double-A San Antonio, while catcher Lamar King Jr. moved to High-A Fort Wayne and 2025 third-round outfielder Ryan Wideman joined Low-A Lake Elsinore.