However, acquiring the aforementioned players forced the Padres to part with many of their top prospects -- particularly pitching prospects. By the start of the 2015 season, Preller and company had traded away a host of young arms that ranked among the team's Top 30 prospects, including Max Fried, Joe Ross, Matt Wisler, Burch Smith, Seth Streich, Zach Eflin and Joe Wieland.
However, that the Padres traded away such an impressive crop of pitching prospects was also reflective of the organization's confidence in its next wave of young arms, many of whom are participating this fall in instructional league.