The circumstances were, uh, just a little bit different five years ago when then-Padres manager Jayce Tingler called on little-known utility player Jake Cronenworth as a pinch-runner in a game against the Diamondbacks.

The San Diego Padres are in the thick of a tight NL Wild Card race, and the Baltimore Orioles could provide them with the missing piece.

Two years after their payroll peaked, the San Diego Padres' financial outlook remains a source of fascination to people within Major League Baseball leading up to the July 31 trade deadline.

The Mariners and Yankees sit in wild-card spots and they are chasing the same player. The two teams have shown interest in Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon, reports the Denver P

A year later, the Padres find themselves in slightly better standing. They are 55-49, one game ahead of their 54-50 record last July 24. They are also entering dangerous territory. The wins and losses tell a story of year-over-year improvement. The recent trend lines do not.

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