CHICAGO —
Winning streak. Losing streak. Last place. Wild card. Whatever.
The standings don’t mean a thing to the Padres as they approach the trade deadline that is 12 days away.
Their focus of trying to get better has not changed even a little as the on-field performance has fluctuated a lot this season.
So while it might not yet be characterized as likely that the Padres make a move to acquire a starting pitcher they can put at or near the top of their rotation, it appears far more likely than last year.
Right-handers Noah Syndergaard of the Mets and Trevor Bauer of the Indians are by far the names the Padres seem most interested in, according to people within and outside the organization.