The 2010 Major League Baseball trade deadline is quickly approaching with the deadline being its customary date of July 31st on a yearly basis.

I will try and tackle every Major League team as the deadline approaches to see if they will be buyers, sellers or stick to their current roster.

I will be basing my assumptions on the direction the team is going, their record as of the date I post the article, possible roster injuries and so on and so forth.

I will provide the information about each team by division.

I began with the National League East’s Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Florida Marlins & Washington Nationals.

I continued with a look at the NL Central’s Cincinnati Reds, St.Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Today I will move onto the NL West’s San Diego Padres.

The Padres finished the first half of the season with a record of 51-37, which earned them first place in the NL West, two games ahead of both the Colorado Rockies & Los Angeles Dodgers.

Coming into the 2010 season baseball analysts, including myself, did not project the Padres as being atop their respective division as the low budget ($37,799,300) team was adamant about trimming payroll, as opposed to adding high priced talent to their organization.

The team did make off-season moves acquiring veteran starting pitcher Jon Garland (one year, $5.3 million plus 2011 mutual option) to lead the team’s rotation, re-acquired former Padre Scott Hairston in a deal with the Oakland Athletics that also brought them outfielder Aaron Cunningham, signed Hairston’s brother Jerry to a one year, $2.125 million deal, added catcher Yorvit Torrealba (one year, $1.25 million plus 2011 mutual option), signed veteran slugger Matt Stairs (one year, $700,000) and extended starting second baseman David Eckstein.

The team was all over the trade rumour mill prior to the season with franchise player Adrian Gonzalez & closer Heath Bell’s names consistently being named as possibly moving, but the team stood firm deciding to keep both players despite Gonzalez looking for a major contract extension and numerous teams interested in the services of Bell.

The decision to keep both players has paid off with both Gonzalez (.301, 18HR, 56RBI) & Bell (4-0, 1.88ERA, 24SV in 27SVO) having successful seasons and making trips to last night’s All-Star game in Anaheim.

The team’s success thus far has been pitching, from both the starters as well as relievers. The Padres team earned run average is number one in all of baseball as they play to the strengths of their home field PETCO Park, quite possibly the toughest hitter’s park in the Major Leagues.

The starting rotation of Garland (8-6, 3.56ERA), Mat Latos (10-4, 2.45ERA), Kevin Correia (5-6, 5.26ERA), Wade LeBlanc (4-7, 3.30ERA) & Clayton Richard (6-4, 3.33ERA) combine with an outstanding bullpen of closer Bell, Mike Adams (2-1, 2.18ERA), Luke Gregorson (3-5, 2.91ERA), Edward Mujica (2-1, 3.00ERA), Tim Stauffer (2-1, 0.37ERA), Joe Thatcher (1-0, 2.04ERA) & Ryan Webb (3-1, 2.27ERA).

Mat Latos is having a breakout year for the Padres.

Even with the potent bat of Gonzalez the Padres do not score a lot of runs (4.27 per game, 12th in NL) so keeping the game a low scoring affair with their outstanding pitching has lead to their current first place standing and success.

Manager Bud Black, a protégé of Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim coach Mike Scioscia formulates game plans similar to his former mentor, playing small ball, using the team’s offensive speed (73SB, 2nd in NL) to make up for their lack of power (67HR, 14th in NL, 18 from Gonzalez) and team batting average (.250, 14th in NL).

In offensive statistical categories such as batting average, home runs, slugging percentage, on base percentage and hits the only teams worse than the Padres in the NL are the lowly Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates who sit in the cellar of the NL Central, while the Padres lead their division. It all comes back to the Padres excellent pitching.

With the Padres trying to fend off the Dodgers, Rockies and even the San Francisco Giants where does that leave the team at the trade deadline?

General Manager Jed Hoyer has stated numerous things as the deadline approaches; he told Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio that the team has payroll flexibility and would like to add a well-rounded hitter as well as a starting pitcher.

Hoyer told Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union Tribune that he would prefer to acquire players under control beyond 2010 avoiding rental players and Hoyer has had his eye on the Milwaukee Brewers Corey Hart and free agent Jermaine Dye as possible mid-season additions, although Dye fits into the rental player category.

Hart had an All-Star first half and does possess the necessary power to continue hitting long balls at the spacious PETCO Park, as was obvious during his first round moon shots during the home run derby on Monday evening, but the Brewers are trying to sell high on Hart and the Padres may not want to give up what the Brewers want in return, which is starting pitching.

The Brewers would certainly be asking the Padres for pitching such as Richard who has pitched well in the Majors and is only 26 years old, or one of the Padres top pitching prospects Simon Castro (5-2, 2.74 @ Double A San Antonio), Wynn Pelzer (6-9, 4.52ERA @ Double A San Antonio), Adys Portillo (1-2, 5.91ERA @ Class A Eugene) or Aaron Poreda (1-1, 2.30ERA @ Triple A Portland) in some kind of package deal for Hart, who is under team control through 2011 being arbitration eligible. However, the Brewers may be asking for Major League caliber starting pitching talent in return for Hart, as the Brewers still think they can contend. The Padres could offer Correia and others as a package deal for Hart rather than let Richard get away, but that might not be sweet enough of a deal for Milwaukee.

The Padres could certainly balk at a deal surrounding those players as pitching is obviously their biggest weapon, but the Brewers want pitching and the Padres face competition from their division rival Giants and Tampa Bay Rays for Hart’s services.

Word via Jim Bowden from Padres owner and CEO Jeff Moorad is that adding a bat is second to adding starting pitching as the Padres look for ways to help aid their young pitching staff down the stretch if they start to falter due to the increased workload.

Pitchers that could become available on the trade market that could aid the Padres are the Chicago Cubs Ted Lilly, Cleveland Indians Jake Westbrook, Kansas City Royals Gil Meche, Toronto Blue Jays Shaun Marcum & Arizona Diamondbacks Edwin Jackson. It is doubtful the Padres will be in on the Roy Oswalt sweepstakes as he does not fit into their budgetary restraints.

The Padres may be looking for a hitter who can play the outfield and there are players fitting that bill on the free agent market that the Padres could inquire about such as Dye or Hank Blalock, who was just released by the Rays and is normally a third baseman but has played some outfield, but again the Padres want to avoid the rental player option, which means the team may need to trade for a hitter.

Aside from the above listed Hart, the Padres could inquire about the services of the Royals David DeJesus, Florida Marlins Cody Ross, Blue Jays Jose Bautista, Washington Nationals Josh Willingham & Baltimore Orioles Luke Scott.

The Padres are no longer a surprise to anyone in baseball as they lead the NL West as the second half of the season is set to begin, but will their current squad be enough to fend off tough division rivals such as the Dodgers, Rockies & Giants?

Will they add starting pitching or a well-rounded bat to their lineup?

The trade deadline is quickly approaching and the Padres may need to make a move, adding payroll to their small budget, if they plan on making a run at the playoffs.

Will the financial restrictions hold them back from making moves or will they go against the grain?

Just another question that will surely be answered within the next few weeks, as the 2010 trade deadline approaches.

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