Padres Predicted to Land $40 Million Pitcher, All-Star Outfielder in Blockbuster Trade

The San Diego Padres are expected to make a big move ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, but it remains a mystery as to where the front office will set its focus.

Mike Axisa of CBS Sports seems to think president of baseball operations A.J. Preller will look to acquire Zach Eflin and Cedric Mullins from the Baltimore Orioles this summer.

Eflin is sporting a 5.95 ERA with 42 strikeouts across 12 starts this season; however, the ballooned mark from the right-hander is the result of an inflated home-run rate.

Mullins is hitting .215 with 13 home runs, 41 runs batted, and an OPS of .703 this season. He is an above average left fielder as he ranks in the 79th percentile in Outs Above Average, per Baseball Savant.

"Who will the Padres trade to get Eflin and Mullins to address their rotation and outfield needs? I have no earthly idea," Axisa writes. "Top prospects Leo De Vries and Ethan Salas are presumably off-limits, so maybe some combination of second-tier prospects Boston Bateman, Humberto Cruz, and Kash Mayfield? I'm not sure. I just know the Orioles are likely to move their veteran rentals, Eflin and Mullins included, and to never bet against Padres GM A.J. Preller making a big trade. A fun question is whether Preller would try to expand our boldly predicted trade to include closer Félix Bautista. He paid big for Jason Adam and Tanner Scott at least year's deadline. Who's to say he wouldn't do it again for Bautista this year?"

After it seemed like the Los Angeles Dodgers had run away with the division, the San Diego Padres are just 4.5 games behind the defending champions in the NL West. Every win counts amidst a tight division race, but more importantly, every victory in October is paramount to the Padres' aspirations of winning a World Series.

Making key additions at the deadline is crucial for the Friars, and it appears a trade with the Orioles could bolster the San Diego starting rotation as well as the production in left field.

For more Padres news, visit Padres on SI.