By far the most active team at the trade deadline was the San Diego Padres.
The Padres went out and acquired closer Josh Hader, infielder Brandon Drury, first baseman Josh Bell, and outfielder Juan Soto.
San Diego gave up most of their top prospects with hopes to make a deep playoff run this year.
Unfortunately, the Padres have not been very good since August 1st.
Since then they are 11-10 and had a stretch where they scored only six runs in five straight losses.
The NL West is far out of reach for San Diego, who sits 18 games behind the Dodgers in the division.
But, they are still in Wild Card position holding the third and final spot.
The biggest concern for the Padres since the trade deadline is the struggles of Hader.
Arguably one of the best closers in baseball has looked like anything but that in San Diego.
Hader has pitched in five games with the Padres.
In those games, he has thrown 3.1 innings and allowed five hits, five walks, and an ERA of 16.20.
A wild throw to first by Josh Hader gives the Nats the lead pic.twitter.com/qs5W7XN4Zd
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 20, 2022
The Padres even announced that they will let Hader take a “little break” from closing games.
That was not something anyone saw coming, especially the Padres.
The struggles of Hader were even evident before he was traded.
Since July 1, the closer has allowed 19 runs in 12.2 innings pitched.
Drury and Bell have been brutal ever since they joined San Diego.
Bell is hitting a .138 with two home runs and a measly five RBI.
Drury is not doing much better hitting .212 with three homers in 18 games.
Soto was the biggest piece acquired at the trade deadline and he has been good for the Padres.
We like to call this the Soto Smash 💥 #TimeToShine pic.twitter.com/pElV78Es0p
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 21, 2022
He is hitting a .286 with an OPS of .894 yet he has only hit two home runs.
Tatis’ Suspension
The talk of the MLB after the Padres acquired Soto was the three-headed monster of Soto, Manny Machado, and Fernando Tatis Jr. all in the same lineup.
Tatis was rehabbing from a wrist injury and was expected to be back sometime in August.
Then the bombshell hit their organization.
Their 23-year-old superstar was suspended 80 games and will be forced to miss the rest of the season.
That was not in the Padres’ plans when they made all of these win-now moves at the deadline.
Without Tatis, the ceiling of the San Diego lineup is substantially lower.
All the momentum that was building up inside the Padres clubhouse disappeared after the suspension.
Some Padres weighed in on Fernando Tatis Jr.'s suspension pic.twitter.com/ebMxbMHmPP
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) August 13, 2022
His teammates were not happy with the 23-year-old.
The Padres have so much invested in the All-Star that an 80-game suspension brings up questions about his future.
Tatis more than likely will not be going anywhere, but he has a lot of work to do to repair his image.
The Padres mortgaged their future, by trading many of their top prospects to get Soto and build around him and Tatis.
Now with Tatis done for this season and a portion of next, the all-in Padres might need to make more moves to get into World Series contention.
NEXT: Fernando Tatis Jr. Reportedly Met With Padres Management