And to some degree or another, the talent that made those possible is still alive within

Syndergaard http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-adams-jersey , deGrom, Archer and Fulmer have six All-Star appearances between them. each of them.To boot, each boasts plenty of team control. The Mets control deGrom through 2020 and Syndergaard through 2021. Archer is signed to a team-friendly contract with options through 2021. Fulmer, meanwhile, isn't slated for free agency until after 2022.Pitchers like these aren't going to be moved for anything less than a massive package of young talent. Think the Jose Quintana trade or the Chris Sale trade, each of which was headlined bytwo name-brand prospects.Not many teams can do a deal like that. But of the few that can, the Padres would be nigh impossible to beat in a bidding war.Once Francisco Mejia, a top catching prospect, came over in the trade that sent Brad Hand and Adam Cimber to the Cleveland Indians, San Diego's list of prospects in MLB.com's top 100 suddenly included an MLB-high 10 names:MLB Pipeline MLBPipeline#Padres already had an MLB-best 9 Top prospects. This gives them 10: TuTZgd5PTS3. Fernando Tatis Jr13. MacKenzie Gore15. Francisco Mejia29. Luis Urias32. Cal Quantrill33. Michel Baez42. Adrian Morejon75. Anderson Espinoza95. Chris Paddack97. Logan AllenThe normal protocol for a rebuilder is to hold on to prospect depth until it gradually becomes major league depth. Then, one thing will hopefully lead to another Anthony Rendon Jersey , and a World Series championship will materialize.However, the Padres are in a unique position.They already have Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers locked up for the long haul, as well as potential franchise cornerstones at catcher (Austin Hedges), second base (Jose Pirela), third base (Christian Villanueva), center field (Manuel Margot) and right field (Hunter Renfroe). In left-hander Joey Lucchesi, they also have at least one such player in their starting rotation.The Padres thus have license to wonder if they have more prospects than they truly need. If nothing else, they almost certainly have more prospects than they can protect from the Rule 5 draft this winter."The question we have moving forward is, when do we cash in on our [prospect] depth and add to our major league team?" general manager A.J. Preller told Sherman. "We have multiple prospects in different spots. We have to figure the right guy to bite down on."Since deGrom, Syndergaard, Archer or Fulmer would immediately shoot to the top of San Diego's rotation, everyone on the Padres' radar fits the bill of "the right guy."Eric HosmerJim McIsaac/Getty ImagesThe cautionary tale that can't be ignored is the Padres' 2014-15 offseason in which Preller tried to build a contender overnightby adding Justin Upton Daniel Murphy Jersey , Matt Kemp, James Shields and Craig Kimbrel. It didn't work. The Padres crashed and burned in 2015 and steadily broke up their newly formed band.But the idea this time around wouldn't seem to involve building a contender overnight. The Padres have to know that 2018 is long gone and that contending in 2019 is probably a long shot.Instead, the real target is 2020.If nothing else, the NL West could be vulnerable for the taking by then. The Colorado Rockies (Nolan Arenado), Arizona Diamondbacks (Paul Goldschmidt) and San Francisco Giants (Madison Bumgarner) stand to lose key superstars to free agency after 2019. The Los Angeles Dodgers will still be there, but Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen and Justin Turner could be past their primes by then.Due to their sheer prospect depth, the Padres are all but assured to get better between now and then no matter what. But if they can bring aboardan ace next week, they'll have an easier time completing the ensemble with free agents after 2018 and 2019. Maybe they won't be able to offer the most money, but they'll be able to extend a chance to join a rising power built on a foundation of youthful and veteran talent.It's either this or the Padres can wait on their prospects. But while that's hardly a bad Plan B, it means signing up for: (a) a longer timeline until contention and (b) the risk of having their best prospects lose value or flame out entirely.In all, the question here isn't why the lowly Padres are considering a huge splash at the trade deadline.It's whyshouldn't they? HOUSTON (AP) — Edwin Diaz was supposed to be off on Sunday after earning saves in each of the last three games for the Seattle Mariners.Instead http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-adams-jersey , after the Mariners tied the Houston Astros in the ninth inning, the All-Star closer told bullpen coach Brian De Lunas to call the dugout to say that he wanted to try to make it four in a row.Ryon Healy hit a tying home run with two outs in the ninth, Mitch Haniger delivered an RBI double in the 10th and Diaz finished up as the Mariners beat Houston 4-3 to sweep a four-game series from the AL West leaders.Diaz allowed one hit in a scoreless 10th for his major league-high 46th save. Manager Scott Servais was pleased but not surprised that Diaz offered to help out on Sunday.“Sometimes you’ve got to do that,” he said. “That’s how Eddie’s wired and how this team is wired.”It’s the first time in franchise history that Seattle swept a four-game series from the Astros. The third-place Mariners pulled within four games of Houston.“It feels like a really bad weekend,” Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. “Which is all it is … but we’ll be fine. This is not something we can’t overcome.”Healy loved that Diaz volunteered to pitch in the 10th.“I got larger goosebumps after hearing that than after I hit the homer, to be honest,” he said.Healy’s solo drive off Hector Rondon made it 3-all. Pinch-hitter Dee Gordon singled against Roberto Osuna (1-1) with one out in the 10th, and the speedster easily scored on Haniger’s double that skipped down the left field line.“That’s the defending world champions. We’re excited,” Gordon said. “That was a big run for us there in the 10th inning. We definitely could have laid down and let them walk us off, but we didn’t.”Zach Duke (5-4) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win.The Astros had managed just three singles and trailed 2-0 entering the eighth when James Pazos hit Kyle Tucker with a pitch. Pinch-hitter Yuli Gurriel singled before Alex Bregman’s single off Nick Vincent with one out cut the lead to 2-1.Carlos Correa then hit an RBI single to tie it. It was his first hit since coming off the disabled list on Friday after missing six weeks with a sore back. A sacrifice fly by Evan Gattis scored Bregman to put Houston on top.Houston starter Dallas Keuchel allowed seven hits and two runs — one earned — in seven innings.The Mariners got a solid start from Erasmo Ramirez, who gave up just three hits in five scoreless innings in his first game since April 27.Ramirez came off the disabled list before the game to make his third start of the season after sitting out more than three months with a shoulder injury. He took Felix Hernandez’s spot in the rotation after the one-time ace was demoted to the bullpen on Thursday night after going 0-4 in his last five starts in a season where he’s posted a career-high 5.73 ERA.Healy got the Mariners on the board with an RBI single in the second.Mike Zunino’s solo homer made it 2-0 in the seventh.TRAINER’S ROOMAstros: Hinch said OF Jake Marisnick, who went on the disabled list with a groin injury on Saturday Max Scherzer Jersey , is expected to be out several weeks. … C Brian McCann, who has been out since June 30 with a knee injury which required surgery, could begin a rehabilitation assignment next week.RELIEF DEBUT DELAYEDHernandez, who has made 398 career starts, has been in the bullpen for four games but has yet to make his first career relief appearance. It looked like he’d get in on Sunday when he warmed up two different times, but after the game turned, he sat back down.THEY SAID ITCorrea on the team’s recent struggles: “We’re going to come through and get out of this scuffle and play great baseball once again. We have great hitters in the lineup that can do a lot of damage. It’s just about clicking and putting great at-bats together.”UP NEXTMariners: Seattle opens a three-game series at Oakland on Monday with LHP Marco Gonzales on the mound. Gonzales, who won five straight from June 29-July 29, looks to get back on track after losing his last two starts.Astros: The Astros are off on Monday before Justin Verlander is scheduled to start in the opener of a two-game interleague series against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night. Verlander will try again to get his 200th win after he allowed six runs in two innings of his last start before being ejected for arguing about a balk in an 8-6 loss to the Mariners.