SAN DIEGO -- It'd be a bit redundant to call any singular Draft an important Draft. Under A.J. Preller, the Padres have treated every year of scouting on the amateur circuit with the utmost importance. This year is no different.

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Still, when the 2022 Draft gets underway Sunday evening -- with the first round set to begin at 4 p.m. PT on ESPN and MLB Network -- it's worth remembering a few things:

1. The Padres have made a boatload of trades over the past two years, which has turned their once-elite farm system into something a bit more barren. They've got a few high-ceiling players, but the depth has faded.

2. Speaking of those high-ceiling players, the Padres figure to be extremely active ahead of the Aug. 2 Trade Deadline. It's easy to envision them using one or more of their top prospects in a deal to acquire big league-ready talent.

3. The Padres are picking No. 15 overall, and they have a Competitive Balance Round A selection at No. 39. In an ideal world, they won't be picking so high in the future, because they'll be in the postseason.

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"You're always trying to replenish," said Chris Kemp, in his first year as the team's amateur scouting director. "Every Draft, every international class, you're always trying replenish the farm. That's our focus."

Kemp has always played an integral role in the replenishing of the Padres' system. But previously that came as the team's director of international scouting.

But after last season's collapse, some parts of the Padres' front office underwent a shakeup. Mark Conner, the team's previous scouting director, moved to Minor League field coordinator. Kemp was tasked with overseeing the entirety of the team's scouting operations.

"Chris, obviously the last few years, he's had a lot of roles in the organization," said Preller, the team's president of baseball operations. "And he's done a great job in every one of them. ... He's just got a lot of really good feel and experience.

"Honestly, I've felt like we've done a good job in scouting and development. We've done a good job in the Draft. I just felt like Chris could add something to our group."

Indeed, the Padres had plenty of success under Conner, producing first-round selections like MacKenzie Gore and C.J. Abrams who are impacting the big league club. More recently, the Padres have used high selections on Robert Hassell III, Jackson Merrill and James Wood, currently the crown jewels of their system.

The trend in those picks: The Padres have often gambled on upside. So why should this year be any different?

A few possibilities include Alabama left-hander Connor Prielipp and Georgia prep right-hander Dylan Lesko, both of whom recently underwent Tommy John surgery (and were considered locks to go higher that No. 15 beforehand). High-ceiling high school shortstops like Cole Young and Jett Williams could also fall in line with recent selections like Merrill and Abrams.

There's some risk associated with a few of those options. But Preller has never shied away from risk, and Kemp doesn't seem likely to do so, either.

"Every Draft is going to have guys with risk," Kemp said. "We're going to be attached to guys with talent. This year, there are a lot of talented guys with some risk. So we'll see what happens."

In total, the Padres will be picking three times on the first day at Nos. 15, 39 and 53. MLB Network will provide complete coverage of Sunday's picks, and the first round will be broadcast on ESPN.

The remaining picks will stream on MLB.com. Day 2 gets underway at 11 a.m. PT, with Rounds 3-10 on the slate. The final day, featuring Rounds 11-20, begins at 11 a.m. PT on Tuesday.