“BASEBALL TRADE DEADLINE”

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Things change quickly in baseball, at least they have in the last 24-hours.

The Dodgers do deals at the deadline.

The Padres may have changed their mind.

The Angels definitely did.

The New York Post and USA Today say Padres GM-AJ Preller has done a ‘U-Turn’ and is now taking offers on 3-of their biggest players, Juan Soto, Blake Snell, and Josh Hader.

The Post’s Jon Heyman says Preller is just doing due diligence to see what’s out there.  USA Today’s Bob Nightingale says ownership does not believe these players fit, and the franchise wants to restock with young players to compliment what would be returning next season.

It’s an admission of mistakes, bad mistakes, by Preller and his people, if they are willing to raise the white flag on a dreadfully disappointed season in only July.

There are all kinds of questions now.  Can the Padres recoup the quality of young talent they traded to Washington for Soto?  The Scott Boras factor comes into play now, who wants to have to deal with Boras and his contract demands a year from now?

Snell, blazing hot, is due to become a free agent at the end of the year, and what kind of value does he bring, considering how well he has pitched since May compared to how wretched he pitched for nearly 3-seasons in San Diego?

Hader is not an enigma and is the top closer who might be on the block, with his free agency starting November 1st too.

In moving all these pieces, the Friars will get enormous young talent in return, some of which will be major league ready.  But what kind of sign does it send to season ticket holders and fans, who have packed Petco with 40-sellout this season?  Is it not an indictment of the baseball people?

These are the people who have twice cleared out the farm system, spent enormous amounts of money on players since departed, and given record setting duration contracts to players who underachieved.

And more for Padres fans and ticket buyers.  Are you going to trust this GM to fix all the mistakes he has made?

Meanwhile at Dodgers Stadium, Andrew Friedman is Andrew Friedman.  He trades for Kike Hernandez from

Boston bringing back a multi position player.  Then he deals for Cleveland shortstop Ahmed Rosario, who brings a bat, some part of a glove, and athleticism and fixes a position they have problems at.

The Dodgers President has a history of big deals, remembering the Max Scherzer trade.  Now there may be a big deal out there next, the Cardinals Nolan Arenado, a potential deal that could involve 4-bluechip players including pitching, catching and a 2nd baseman going to St Louis.

The Angels, the team shredded by injuries, and torn apart in their front office, about what they should do in the Shohei Ohtani situation, made an executive decision.  Arte Moreno decided to go all in, roll the dice, gamble he can re-sign Ohtani,and take on salary to try and get to the playoffs.

GM Perry Manasion first traded for veteran hitter Mike Moustakas; then he outbid other teams to get White Sox ace Lucas Giolito and setup reliever Rey Perez, giving up just two lower minor leaguers.  Giolito can go on the open market, but he is from So Cal, so there’s a good chance he stay at Angels Stadium too.

We’re not done yet for sure.  But Ohtani is off the market for the time being.  The top starter is off the board.  And the Padres have 3-big names that could be difference makers somewhere else between now and late Monday night.

The Dodgers doing what they do.  The Angels trying to do something to salvage the season.  The Padres staggering trying to change course in mid stream of a horribly disappointing season.

Here comes the deadline with more deals to be done.

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