Are the Padres better than a .500 team? AJ Preller's deadline dilemma

The San Diego Padres head into the All-Star break with a .500 record but have they shown enough to think they can turn it around in the second half?

Darren Smith and Marty Caswell discuss the team's first half, what kind of grade they give them for their official "first half" of the season and a road trip that could shape A.J. Preller's trade deadline.

Manny Machado is been the team's hottest hitter as of late and is finally hitting over .200, but the Padres will need a lot more from the rest of their stars if they can really make a run in the wild card race. We hear from Manny on the team's mentality ahead of a defining roadtrip that could shape them as buyers or sellers. Padres manager Craig Stammen discusses why Machado's surge is a "game changer" for the Padres. Yes, as we've always known, the Padres go as Manny goes.

While Preller was busy with the MLB draft, Marty was interrogating him on the trade deadline and how he evaluates Stammen's performance. Marty and Darren break down Preller's comments on roster holes, Stammen's adjustments and learning on the go.

The Padres HAVE shown an ability to play a lot better baseball in the second half, but is there any reason to believe this team, with its' various holes can do the same? Marty thinks this deadline could look a lot more like 2023, which merited Rich Hill, Scott Barlow and Ji-Man Choi.

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