With the MLB in the middle of the All-Star break, the San Diego Padres are looking to add to their roster.

At the MLB All-Star break, the Padres are 52-44 with major holes still on the roster.

The stars for the Padres seem to be heating up and at the right time for San Diego. Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado, for the last month, have been on fire. All the Padres need is for Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill to heat up, and Tatis Jr. is on a hot streak recently.

The main problem for the Padres this entire year has been the eight- and nine-hole hitters in the lineup. The Padres rank in the bottom three in the majors in eight- and nine-hole hitters WRC+ with 57.

The combined number for the two positions in the Padres’ lineup is a WRC+ of 114. 114 WRC+. That means the Padres are getting just above-average production from a combined two hitters in their lineup. Individually, the Padres’ eight- and nine-hole hitters are one of the worst in all of baseball. If not the worst.

There is a team that lines up perfectly with what the Padres need right now.

That is the Minnesota Twins.

The Twins have several expiring contract players and also have a few players with one and a half years remaining on their contracts. Minnesota is two games below .500 at 47-49, but is only four games back of the third wild card spot held by the Seattle Mariners.

They have some amazing options for the Padres to look at. We will look at each player the Padres could potentially trade for individually. The players include Ty France, Danny Coulombe, Willi Castro, Ryan Jeffers, and Harrison Bader.

Harrison Bader

Bader would be the Padres’ everyday left fielder if they were to acquire the veteran. Bader is considered by most to be one of the best defensive outfielders in the sport. He is not exactly who the Padres should be after, but he would produce a lot more offensively in the eighth spot than what the Padres have been getting. This year, Bader has a WRC+ of 115 and a WOBA of .336. Not an elite option for the Padres, but it is 53 WRC+ points better than what is being produced right now in the eighth spot in the lineup.

Ryan Jeffers

Jeffers should be on the Padres’ list of catchers to possibly acquire by the trade deadline. The catching duo of Martin Maldonado and Elias Diaz is not working. The two have averaged a WRC+ of 62 and a WOBA of .251, which ranks second-worst among all catching backstops in baseball. Ryan Jeffers, on the other hand, has a WRC+ of 111 with a WOBA of .329. Jeffers can also come in and help solve the Padres’ issues with left-handed pitching. Jeffers has a WRC+ of 133 versus left-handers and an OBP of .433. The only problem is he does not slug versus lefties. As he owns a .343 SLG against southpaws. Jeffers’ main issue is that he would not solve the defensive woes that Maldonado and Diaz have been providing. He himself is below-average behind the plate, but he is a much better bat than Diaz or Maldonado and would be a good get.

Willi Castro

Castro is another potential bat the Padres may be after, especially with his ability to crush left-handed pitching. This year, Castro has posted a WRC+ of 124 and has an OPS of .791. Willi Castro would be a much-improved option either as a platoon DH with Gavin Sheets or as an everyday DH if Mike Shildt trusts Sheets to handle the left fielder innings. Castro historically is not known for crushing lefties. This year, though, Castro has an eye-boggling 157 WRC+ and an OPS of .926 against southpaws. If the Padres want to help their massive problems against southpaws, Castro could be a part of the solution.

Ty France

If the Padres are to trade for France and others, he would be strictly a bench bat who could get some DH starts versus lefties. France has not been having the best year, with only a WRC+ of 89 and a WOBA of .298. France is a very familiar name and somebody whom the clubhouse knows. This is not a flashy move, but it would give some much-needed experience off the bench.

Danny Coulombe 

The Padres find themselves in a very peculiar spot with the way the bullpen is constructed. San Diego has a special top four in Morejon, Adam, Estrada, and Suarez. Not having a trusted left-handed pitcher who can get left-handed batters out in early game situations is necessary. Shildt probably does not want to toss Morejon out in the fifth inning or earlier just to get a pair of lefties out. Thus, Coulombe would replace Peralta or Matsui in that role. Coulombe is an all-around great reliever who can be a lefty specialist for what is an already elite bullpen.

The Padres may be able to call the Twins and offer them a decent number of prospects for four, if not all five of the players mentioned. The Padres would need to make room on their 40-man roster to acquire this group of players, but it could be a one-stop solution to address several roster issues.

Bryant Thursby

Bryant is an Assistant Coach at Heritage High School. He is a big-time SDSU fanatic and a Padres fan.