The San Diego Padres are a team that many eyeballs will be glued to ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. They will play a pair of games against the 42-win Colorado Rockies starting Tuesday, followed by a four-game set against the 45-win San Francisco Giants in their final two series before the deadline. The next six games will be pivotal for a Padres team just 1.5 games out of the final wild-card spot in the National League.With the deadilne approachiing, a potential deal with the New York Yankees seems like a no-brainer. Even if the Padres split the next six games, president of baseball operations AJ Preller will likely still put his team in a buying position, and the Yankees can potentially add another starting pitcher and/or lineup-ready bat to the cause. Additionally, starting pitching help shouldn't be solely rested on the shoulders of Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta's imminent return, according to manager Craig Stammen. “We’ve definitely taken them on a road that would get them ready for the end of the season and tried to be very strategic and put their health as the No. 1 priority,” Stammen said recently via The Athletic's Dennis Lin. “If we get them back and they’re ineffective, then it’s not going to do us any good, either."So, we need a little bit of both [health and effectiveness], which isn’t guaranteed, you know?”Finally, while on the topic of starting pitching, right-hander Michael King has recently emerged as a potential trade candidate according to MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The report came with the news that All-Star closer Mason Miller will likely stay a Padre come Aug. 4. "The San Diego Padres likely will keep closer Mason Miller but could trade starter Michael King, according to rival executives who have spoken to AJ Preller, president of baseball operations. They don’t anticipate Preller being ultra-aggressive at the deadline with new ownership pending," Nightengale wrote.Here’s all the latest Padres news and stories (click the headline for the full article): Padres-Yankees Trade Makes Too Much Sense Before Deadline Padres Manager Admits There's No Guarantees With Joe Musgrove, Nick Pivetta Padres Could Trade Michael King in Blockbuster Deadline Move: Report The Biggest Need the Padres Must Address Before the Trade Deadline is Obvious Padres vs Rockies Series Preview Ahead of Trade Deadline: Pitching Matchups, Bold Prediction, MorePadres Tweets of the DayFeliz cumpleaños, Wandy! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/BUuXpLiKhX— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 27, 2026"AJ Preller absolutely loves Mason Miller."@ByRobertMurray believes there's a "10% or less" chance the Padres move their All-Star closer. pic.twitter.com/YZqtRcGHek— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) July 27, 2026The Padres' biggest need at the trade deadline is clear as day (read below why)⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/6Axb9QIk3v— Padres On SI (@PadresOnSI) July 28, 2026The Padres’ offensive ranks so far in the 2nd half:AVG: 3rd (.282)HR: 1st (19)Runs: T-2nd (63)SLG: 2nd (.507)OPS: 3rd (.868)wRC+: 2nd (140) pic.twitter.com/hsWRPWeQiT— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) July 27, 2026"If I'm AJ Preller, do I think that I have a team that can be one of the top six teams in the National League?"The Padres should be buying for playoff contention, not a World Series. pic.twitter.com/6LaKhmgtlV— Friar Territory (@FriarTerritory) July 27, 2026— SleeperPadres (@SleeperPadres) July 27, 2026Padres manager Craig Stammen admitted there's no guarantees regarding the returns of Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/FS4iKwd4RA— Padres On SI (@PadresOnSI) July 27, 2026Soak up the sun.— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 27, 2026— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 27, 2026Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X/Twitter for the latest news.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow