Padres add two veteran rentals ready for October baseball

Despite being just one day away from the MLB trade deadline, the Padres’ course remains uncertain. We will likely see a combination of buying and selling, and there are plenty of holes to be filled if this team wants to truly compete.

After being moments away from a World Series victory last year, the Blue Jays have had a serious hangover. Signing former Padre and now Cy Young candidate Dylan Cease was a great move, but the entirety of the rest of their roster has taken a step back, and they now look to retool for 2027. They will be looking to unload some expiring contracts, and two of their veterans would be great fits in San Diego.

Padres fill two holes in one move

Padres receive: RHP Kevin Gausman, OF Daulton Varsho

Blue Jays receive: RHP Garret Hawkins (EVT #9), OF Braedon Karpathios (EVT #10), and LHP Jagger Haynes (EVT #20)

Kevin Gausman
Kevin Gausman is 35 and has an expiring $22,000,000 a year deal (prorated, the Padres would pay around $8,000,000 for the rest of the year). He was a major part of the Blue Jays’ World Series run last year, but has taken a step back this year, largely due to a slight downtick in velocity. Despite his 4.51 ERA, his underlying peripherals remain solid and largely similar to last year when he posted a 3.59 ERA in nearly 200 innings.

The innings are a big factor here for the Padres, who are desperate for starting pitching. Gausman has pitched at least 170 innings in every year since 2020 and has remained consistently effective in that time frame. His strikeout numbers are not what they used to be, but Gausman can be a reliable, middle-of-the-rotation starter for the rest of the year and into the postseason. If the rumors about the Padres’ new ownership being willing to add payroll this year are true, then Gausman is an absolutely perfect fit for San Diego.

Kevin Gausman strikes out the side in the first inning! pic.twitter.com/rmtoMZr6Wi

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) November 1, 2025

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Daulton Varsho
The 30-year-old left-handed outfielder can easily slot into the Padres’ left field position today. His extremely reliable glove, average speed, and competent left-handed bat would be a huge upgrade in left field for San Diego. The Padres have been searching for a left fielder since Ramon Laureano went down in May with a hip injury. Gavin Sheets should not be starting important games out there, Jase Bowen has struggled mightily, and Samad Taylor‘s injury makes him questionable to return to his smoking-hot form we saw in June. Varsho offers a needed left-handed platoon bat that you can count on, even if he is not exactly an offensive juggernaut.

Varsho is not far removed from his career-best season in 2025, when he posted an .833 OPS and 2.2 fWAR in just 71 games. He made some mechanical changes in the offseason that have hurt his bat speed, launch angles, and batted ball profile, which created more of a contact hitter. Unfortunately, his wOBA, xwOBA, and overall offensive contribution have taken a hit as a result. Despite his 17th percentile xwOBA and 92 wRC+, he has still posted 1.2 WAR on the season, better than all of the Padres’ left fielders this year combined. Even if the Padres do not make any mid-season adjustments to Varsho’s approach down the stretch run, he will still be an upgrade in left field and bring an elite defensive toolset that always comes in handy in October.

DAULTON VARSHO WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM! pic.twitter.com/XiiWyOVB53

— MLB (@MLB) May 14, 2026

Garret Hawkins, Braedon Karpathios, and Jagger Haynes 

Garret Hawkins won minor league reliever of the year last year after posting a 1.50 ERA across 60 innings between High-A and Double-A. His elite fastball shape and high release would allow it to play in the MLB today if he were not blocked by one of the best bullpens in baseball. His offspeed and breaking pitches could use some work, but Hawkins is a guy that most organizations could comfortably slot into the back end of their bullpen by the start of the 2027 season.

Braedon Karpathois offers some power from the left side and will likely slot into a corner-outfield slot once he makes the big leagues. The 23-year-old has posted a .757 OPS over his entire minor league career after signing as an undrafted free agent back in 2022. His production comes mostly from his raw power, posting extremely high exit velocities and mashing fastballs. However, his inability to hit the breaking ball and pull the ball consistently causes his in-game power to play well below what he is capable of. Without elite speed and just average defensive ability, Karpathios will need at least one more offensive breakthrough to have a chance at contributing to a major league roster.

Braedon Karpathios yesterday w/ Double-A San Antonio:

2-for-4, 2 2B, R

Since May 1, he sports a 142 wRC+ and .401 wOBA: pic.twitter.com/6yES65lXU8

— Clark Fahrenthold (@CFahrenthold11) June 22, 2026

Jagger Haynes is one of the longest tenured Pares minor leaguers left in the most traded from farm in baseball. He has never really unlocked his potential after an injury-riddled start to his professional career and lacks a defining pitch in his repertoire that would make him a competent major league starter today. That being said, Haynes is still just 23 despite being in the system since 2020, and his breaking pitches still show promise. While the fastball is what currently holds him back, Haynes has a projectable 6-foot-3 frame that may provide hope yet of finding more velocity, even if it’s just from a move to the bullpen instead. 

While these three prospects might not blow the Blue Jays away, the rental market still favors the buyers when they come with significant contract obligations. The Padres would add about $13,000,000 in payroll in this deal for just two months of baseball from underperforming players. The Padres do not have a particularly deep farm system, so they will have to sacrifice on the deal in other places if they decide to buy real MLB talent. Talent is not free, and adding two October-ready players to a squad looking to keep its championship window open is certainly worth a small hit to the billion-dollar books. Let’s hope the new owners agree.

Jacob Larose

Jacob grew up with Padres season tickets and walls plastered with Khalil Greene memorabilia. He has dedicated all of his young professional career towards becoming baseball’s next AJ Preller, having already worked with minor league and college teams in different roles. He is always scouring the Baseball Savant page to find the next little nugget that might help his hometown Padres (or his fantasy baseball team).