San Diego Padres Beat Writer Reveals Team's Biggest Need Going Into Trade Deadline

The San Diego Padres had a much-needed day off on Thursday after an ugly three-game sweep at Petco Park against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Padres offense has been a hot topic of discussions, and stars such as Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. are not hitting well. 

Shortstop Xander Bogaerts has also taken a giant step back after a strong start to the season, and Nick Castellanos and Freddy Fermin are well below .200 on the season when it comes to batting average. 

Nobody knows what is going on with the Padres bats, not even manager Craig Stammen, but something needs to change, and quickly. 

Somehow, the Padres begin Friday's series against the Washington Nationals with a 31-24 record, but the offense is dead-last in the MLB and role players such as Gavin Sheets an Ty France have arguably been the best hitters in San Diego this year. 

Padres beat writer AJ Cassavell of MLB.com wrote about the Padres' four biggest needs as the trade deadline approaches, and the top need, in his opinion, is a left-handed bat. 

"I’ve flipped on this one. I’d been eyeing starting pitching as the Padres’ biggest priority all year. But as the season has ticked onward -- and the bats have remained cold -- it’s becoming clear what this team needs most at the Trade Deadline: A lefty bat with some pop," Cassavell wrote. 

While Cassavell says that the offense is a major concern, there are some possibilities that the Padres add another bat, or two, at the deadline. 

Currently, here are the averages and numbers for the Padres left-handed bats, and some of these numbers are scary. 

With the exception of Sheets, none of the left-handers are hitting well, and Merrill's cold streak is a major concern, and one he spoke about recently. 

Cassavell says the best-case scenario is that Cronenworth, Merrill and Sheets improve and the left-handed bat is a solid bench piece. On the other hand, the worst-case scenario is that the "Deadline addition could sit somewhere in the heart of this lineup." 

Hey, there is a guy named CJ Abrams, yes, the former Padres star prospect who was sent to the Nationals as part of the Juan Soto trade, and Abrams is a name that has been discussed in trade rumors. 

The Padres will get another long look at Abrams this weekend against the Nationals, so that could be an interesting idea in what would be a weird, but neat, full-circle moment. 

At the end of the day, the Padres left-handed bats, outside of Sheets, have been very disappointing, so that figures to be a key area that AJ Preller needs to address this season.