Padres Trade Rumors: San Diego 'Working' to Land Starting Pitcher Ahead of Deadline

The San Diego Padres already bolstered their lineup with a trade and will apparently look to do the same with their starting pitching.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported the National League West club is "working to acquire a starting pitcher" ahead of Friday's trade deadline.

San Diego already traded shortstop Tucupita Marcano, outfielder Jake Suwinski and pitcher Michell Miliano to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Adam Frazier, per ESPN's Kiley McDaniel. What's more, ESPN's Buster Olney reported the Padres discussed trading for Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story and moving him to the outfield before landing Frazier.

In Frazier, the Padres have a 2021 All-Star who leads the league with 125 hits all while slashing .327/.392/.453.

The team is clearly looking to push some chips forward in the tight race for the playoffs. It is in third place in the National League West and 5.5 games behind the first-place San Francisco Giants.

It is also 5.5 games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds for the final NL wild-card spot and has a lineup capable of challenging for the franchise's first World Series title with Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Frazier.

The Padres turned heads in the starting pitching department before the season started by trading for Yu Darvish and Blake Snell, but the latter has been inconsistent with a 4.93 ERA. Dinelson Lamet is also on the injured list, underscoring the need for more depth.

San Diego is a solid but unspectacular 10th in the league in starting pitching ERA at 3.95, per FanGraphs.

Trading for another impact arm to pair with Darvish and Snell could give the team enough pitchers to take over playoff series without relying on the powerful lineup to lead the way every game.