Taking a look at what the San Diego Padres need to solidify their roster for the 2025 season.

Despite a load of injuries, the San Diego Padres are one game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers as the two teams meet on Monday night.

The Padres are without Michael King, Yu Darvish, and Joe Musgrove in the starting staff. Luis Arraez, Jackson Merrill, Brandon Lockridge, Jason Heyward, and Jake Cronenworth all spent time on the IL this season. The team has played well despite these losses. But you have to figure moves are on the horizon.

The team has two holes in its lineup, and there are issues with the starting staff that need to be addressed.

A.J. Preller is never one to shy away from making a move, so the Padres will be active.

Several pundits are already predicting that the team will be one of the most active teams on the trade market this summer.

Here is a brief rundown on what the team will surely be looking for in the next few weeks.

Left field

Jason Heyward is penciled in as the starter, but he is currently on the IL for the second time this season and is, in reality, a shadow of the player he once was. Heyward provides excellent team chemistry and is a leader on the team, but his bat is suspect. His defensive abilities are shown in flashes, but Heyward is every bit of 35 years old. The Padres need production from the position. Gavin Sheets should not be out there daily. They will make a move. Jarren Duran seems unfeasible, as the Red Sox require pitching, and the Padres simply do not have that.

The Padres will add a left fielder of two in the coming weeks. That seems to be a near certainty. Preller is aware that he cannot continue to roll out subpar players at a position that is traditionally one of excellent offense production. The Padres have the prospect capital to upgrade at the position. They do not necessarily need a superstar. They need a productive player. A tandem could be a possibility as the Padres look for someone adequate against right-handed hitters and southpaws.

Catcher

Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado may have strong throwing arms, but the lack of offense is killing the team, especially when the hole in left field is hitting right next to whomever is catching. That gives the Padres two easy outs in the tail end of the lineup, and that is not a good thing. Fernando Tatis Jr. hits leadoff for the Padres, but hardly ever has runners on ahead of him because the two positions are not holding their own with the bat. Something needs to be done.

There are very few options at the catching position in the trade front. The position is one of weakness around the league. The Padres will need to be creative to upgrade at the position, but that is not out of the realm of possibilities for A.J. Preller and his staff. They excel at thinking outside the box. Expect the Padres to upgrade at least one of the catchers. Diaz is being paid relatively well, so Maldonado seems like the likely subject to be replaced.

Starting pitcher

With King down and Darvish still nursing a sore arm, the Padres need pitching. Stephen Kolek and Randy Vasquez have been excellent, but both young pitchers will face an innings limit of some sort. The Padres have young pitchers like Ryan Bergert, but again, his innings will be limited at the end of the season. The team needs an arm or two to get through the season and be positioned to go deep into the playoffs. Preller is aggressive in upgrading, and the team should be on the lookout for arms.

Preller could become very aggressive in this area, as the Padres are well aware that pitching is crucial for carrying a team in the playoffs. Dylan Cease and potentially Michael King are free agents at the end of the season. The Padres need a top-of-the-order presence and could go all in for a reliable arm. This is an area that will be upgraded in some degree. We will see what the Padres do to solidify their chances of going deep in the playoffs and bringing a trophy home to San Diego.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. James has written about the Padres and their prospects for over a decade. He also writes about San Diego State as well as other local sports. James is the Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.