LOS ANGELES -- “If you’re going to win a championship,” Padres general manager A.J. Preller said last month after the Trade Deadline , “you can’t have any weak links.”

It’s why Preller made five trades involving 22 players on Deadline day. Winning in October isn’t easy. There are no guarantees. But if the Padres could build a roster free of weaknesses, they’d put themselves in the best position.

Largely, they appear to have done that. They needed a catcher, a left fielder and another DH/1B type bat. They got Freddy Fermin, Ramón Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn. They needed to ease the burden on their bullpen. They got Mason Miller, one of the sport’s most electric arms, and created a super-pen.

Meanwhile, Preller opted to hold onto Dylan Cease , despite plenty of trade interest. With Yu D

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