It appears San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller is back to his old tricks.
After making a series of blockbuster trades last offseason, Preller just made two trades in two days, acquiring middle infielder Jose Pirela from the New York Yankees and shipping Joaquin Benoit to the Seattle Mariners.
While these November deals don’t grab the headlines the way that some of the aggressive GM’s trades have in the past, they still point to the fact that Preller is quickly getting to work.
But how do you fix a team that has multiple holes and is coming off one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history? Where do you even begin?
As MLB Network analyst Tom Verducci said on MLB Now, the Padres’ plan is anyone’s guess.
On paper, the Benoit trade seems like a bit of a head-scratcher. Why trade away one of your most dependable relief options when your team ranked 23rd in the majors in bullpen ERA last season?
Clearly, as Ron Darling alluded to in the video above, Preller is looking to get younger and more balanced. After trading away so many prospects last offseason, it is a very smart move to attempt to retool the farm system.
Obtaining 19-year-old right-handed pitcher Enyel De Los Santos and 23-year-old middle infielder Nelson Ward in exchange for Benoit certainly helps in restocking the system.
But given Preller’s track record with trades, some people, including San Diego Union-Tribune Padres beat writer Dennis Lin, remain weary of the trigger-happy Preller:
What makes the Benoit deal all the more confounding is that, as MLB.com executive correspondent Richard Justice points out in the MLB video below, most people think the Padres are still in win-now mode. Isn’t that what the Matt Kemp acquisition was all about?
In an interview on MLB Network’s Hot Stove on Thursday, Preller said that the front office is going to remain aggressive in the international market while seeking infield support.
“It’s no secret we are out there looking for help, specifically at shortstop,” Preller told Matt Vasgersian. “You’re always looking for guys who can make you strong up the middle.”
While shortstop Andrelton Simmons is no longer available after being acquired by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim via trade on Thursday, there are some veteran-type players available on the free-agent market such as Asdrubal Cabrera, Alexei Ramirez and Jimmy Rollins.
Either middle infielder would be an improvement over current option Alexi Amarista, who hit only .204 last season with an OBP of .257. In five years, he is a .227 career hitter.
As the Simmons trade shows, obtaining an elite shortstop in a deal means sacrificing a ton in exchange. Given the current state of the Padres farm system, it may be more advisable to seek upgrades via free agency instead.
Another issue that needs to get addressed this offseason is the Padres’ lack of depth in the rotation. There’s also the fact that their lineup is too right-handed heavy, as Preller points out during the Hot Stove interview.
A one-two combo of James Shields and Tyson Ross at the top of the rotation is formidable, but who is going to fill the No. 4 and No. 5 spots after Andrew Cashner’s turn?
Right-handed starter Ian Kennedy rejected the Padres’ qualifying offer on Friday and will become a free agent, as expected. Meanwhile, internal options seem meek and inexperienced.
Look for Preller to explore outside talent, either by trade or free agency, for one or two additional starters, especially a lefty.
As for left-handed bats, the Padres got a bit of bad news on Friday when outfielder Colby Rasmus accepted the Houston Astros‘ $15.8 million qualifying offer to return to the club in 2016.
The lefty power hitter would have been a good fit for the Padres post-Justin Upton lineup. On the final day of the 2015 season, the Padres scorecard featured only two left-handed hitters, Amarista and Travis Jankowski.
After the Padres ended up winning three fewer games (77) than they did in 2014, there is a lot of work to be done for Preller and Co.
Beyond Craig Kimbrel, the bullpen is one serious weak spot.
Beyond Shields, Ross and Cashner, the rotation has holes as well.
On the offensive side, San Diego is hoping to get a boost from a healthy Wil Myers, but they still lack an impact left-handed bat to balance the lineup and make it more difficult for opposing pitchers to match up against.
As Verducci alluded to in the video above, it’s tough to decipher where Preller is going with this thing. It is still extremely early in the offseason, and we don’t have much to go off of, but if last year was any indication, he may be very active again.
As for whether that means dealing more major league talent (such as Benoit) away, or adding a couple big names via trade, we will just have to wait and see.
Similar to the Oakland Athletics’ Billy Beane, Preller has emerged as one of the most unpredictable GMs in the game.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com