As Major League Baseball's July 30 trade deadline inches closer, there's major potential for an arms race between the three leading contenders in the National League West.
Ironically, the leader of that particular pack might also be the underdog to win said arms race.
In San Diego, it's little secret (i.e., here and here) that Padres general manager A.J. Preller isn't afraid of making blockbuster deals. And in spite of the team's third-place standing at 56-42, ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that the Padres are willing to aim high for impact players even if it means surpassing the $210 million luxury-tax threshold.