The San Diego Padres have been rumored to be picking up a starting pitcher, and while veteran names have been all over the rumor mill, they aren’t the only options. 

To be blunt, San Diego wants to add depth to a roster that lacks it. A.J. Preller is known to look through every avenue to find the players to complete his team. Both of these statements can be correct.

Most trade deadlines, a lot of smoke and noise emerge about veteran arms who could be moved, but the Padres don’t have the farm system for another litany of rental additions. This system is growing, but it is not yet at the 2018-2019 crop levels. When examining teams looking to sell, the Diamondbacks, Orioles, Angels, and Pirates stand out. Preller and his staff have done business with the Pirates before, but they could look to another California team to add productive depth. 

Enter the Athletics. While it may sound like a medieval procession, the Athletics are again looking to be sellers at the trade deadline. With a young core growing with the likes of Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, Lawrence Butler, and Brent Rooker, the Athletics have a strong farm system that will soon see top talents like Denzel Clarke and Colby Thomas graduate to Major League role players. With their contention window being around 2027-2029 (a time when they will most likely be in Las Vegas), the A’s have some players in the midst of sneaky-good seasons that could aid the Padres’ playoff run. 

Here’s the deal:

San Diego acquires: LHP Jacob Lopez, C Austin Wynns

A’s Acquire: C Luis Campusano, IF Darian Castillo, RHP Isaiah Lowe, OF/1B Tirso Ornelas, RHP Randy Vasquez

Who? If you thought this when reading the deal, it might be time to check your knowledge of ball. In all seriousness, though, the Padres would be getting a long-term controllable starter and a catcher to plug into their current tandem in exchange for a pair of MLB-ready pieces and a pair of near-MLB-ready prospects.

Starting with Wynns, he’s in the midst of a career-best season, albeit in a limited sample size. In 103 plate appearances, Wynns is slashing .284/.314/.582 with six home runs. He would have seven home runs if he played at Petco, according to Baseball Savant, and his pulled fly ball rate is at a career-high 24.6%. Defensively, Wynns has been graded out as around average across the board and has thrown out 10 of 25 attempted base-stealers this season.

Bringing in a catcher with an ability to hit is something the Padres almost desperately need, especially after Brandon Valenzuela fell into a slump that all but takes him out of the equation for Major League time this season, barring injuries. Wynns is also under team control for one more season via arbitration, so if he performs, he could remain with the Friars into next season as a platoon or backup catcher, depending on the team’s decisions in the offseason.

Wynns crushing early ? pic.twitter.com/8ejSGVrf25

— Athletics (@Athletics) July 13, 2025

The big piece of the deal is Lopez, who still has five seasons of team control after this season. The left-hander was acquired in the Jeffrey Springs/Joe Boyle trade this past offseason and has made eleven starts for the Athletics. In those 11 starts and four relief appearances, Lopez has pitched 60.2 innings to a 4.60 ERA, which does not look the most encouraging. However, a look at the under-the-hood numbers reveals a more promising outlook.

ERA estimators have Lopez with a 3.71 xERA and 4.24 xFIP, and his stuff has been hard for batters to barrel. Lopez has a 29.2% whiff rate this season, which would be the second highest among Padres starters with at least six games started. Lopez’s barrel rate (6.8%) and hard-hit rate (34.2%) are in the 73rd and 88th percentiles, respectively. Despite his fastball at an average of 90.7 mph, Lopez generates over seven feet of extension from a 20-degree arm slot, making for an unconventional arm angle for opposing batters.

Lopez’s fastball, slider, and changeup all carry whiff rates over 30%, with the changeup’s 32.9% whiff rate the highest of his arsenal. Lopez has been solid for the Athletics this season, but with players like top prospect Gage Jump, Luis Morales, and Jack Perkins coming up the ladder with impressive stuff, the Athletics could look to sell high on the 27-year old Lopez’s production to clear space for some of their younger arms or for arms included in other trade returns.

The Padres would be sending off five players in this deal, with two bringing MLB experience. First would be Luis Campusano. The once-top prospect has seen his lustre fade in recent seasons, as he had plenty of opportunities and failed to capitalize. At Triple-A, Campusano hits at an MVP level; in the Majors, Campusano looks like he’s swinging a pool noodle, quite frankly. The Padres would be wise to move on, and the A’s would be receiving a backup catcher with three more years of team control. Campusano might also play better at Sutter Health Park given its hitter-friendly nature. 

CAMPY IS EP

MAKE THAT BACK TO BACK NIGHTS WITH A HR FOR CAMPY pic.twitter.com/JIQTBVr2Gw

— El Paso Chihuahuas (@epchihuahuas) June 26, 2025

Joining him in Sacramento would be Randy Vasquez. The 26-year-old right-hander is in the midst of one of the most bizarre pitching seasons this decade, with uninspiring peripherals but a good ERA. Vasquez has averaged under five innings a start this season, so the Padres could look to move on from the right-hander for an arm that can provide depth. The Athletics would be getting an arm that is serviceable and doesn’t allow a ton of hard contact, with his cutter-sinker-sweeper approach generating a lot of balls just off the barrel. 

SP Randy Vasquez – B+

Vasquez’s 3.80 ERA has been more vital to the Padres then one would think.

He has 14 starts allowing two or fewer runs, and has give the Padres a chance in nearly all of his outings.

He’s done this with a 1st %ile K%, by pitching to contact effectively pic.twitter.com/JBhdc2plWC

— High Leverage Baseball (@HighLevBaseball) July 16, 2025

For prospects, the Athletics would get a pair of players who can help them as soon as next season. The headlining prospect in the deal is Padres No. 14 prospect Isaiah Lowe. A sinker-slider starting pitcher, Lowe doesn’t have blistering velocity but has been able to find success without it.

Lowe sits at 94-94 with his fastball and sinker, touching 96-97 at times. His command has shown improvements since his 2023 pro debut, and after a career-best season in 2025, Lowe has been up-and-down at High-A. He has bounced back from a challenging stretch at the start of the season to pitch 64 innings in 16 starts, striking out 53 while walking 38. Lowe has posted a 41% ground ball rate this season, his highest since 2023 (in which he threw 12.1 innings), and has tailored his approach on the mound for ground balls and weak contact throughout the course of the regular season. With a career K/9 of 9.02 despite his so-so 2025 season, Lowe could be another arm that the A’s could look to push up the minor league ladder in a starting role. 

Padres no. 1⃣4⃣ prospect Isaiah Lowe with one of his more effective outings of the season for @tincaps: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, and 3 K’s vs. Cedar Rapids tonight. @PadresProspects @EVT_News @madfriars pic.twitter.com/tlyIntEPeb

— Glenn Marini (@GlennMariniWANE) July 26, 2025

The fourth piece in the deal is Padres No. 15 prospect Tirso Ornelas. Ornelas had a cup of coffee with the Padres back in April/May, but went 1-for-14 in that cameo. He has been on the minor league IL for over a month now but played well before the injury. This season with Triple-A El Paso, Ornelas hit .297 with a .386 on-base percentage, .412 slugging percentage, and .786 OPS. Ornelas is also capable of playing all three outfield positions and first base, although he profiles best as a left fielder. If he gets healthy, he has the potential to be a 20-homer bat with serviceable defense, and with the Athletics likely to move Miguel Andujar, Ornelas could become an option for them in left field alongside Colby Thomas and Tyler Soderstrom.

I’m buying in on the potential of #Padres prospect Tirso Ornelas.

The 24-year old showed solid MLB-caliber tools at Triple-A in 2024, including:
?16.1% K Rate in 548 PA
?52.2% GB+LD Rate
?Career-high .497 SLG

Could he win the LF job in Spring. Methinks he can- pic.twitter.com/UpoXasdujw

— Diego Garcia (@StatNerd_Base) January 28, 2025

Lastly, infielder Darian Castillo would be a lottery ticket addition to the trade. The switch-hitter is in his second DSL season and has done nothing but hit, slashing .325/.476/.388 for a 139 wRC+ this season, seeing time at second base with cameos in all three outfield spots. Likely destined for the Arizona Complex League in 2026, Castillo could become a solid utilityman at the MLB level down the road if his eye at the plate continues to be a strong asset against higher levels of competition.

There’s a lot to get through here, but in short, San Diego gets a controllable starting pitcher with impressive stuff and low mileage on his arm, paired with a catcher who is hitting the ball well when he plays. Is San Diego surrendering a lot in this trade? Possibly, but as WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase once infamously said, “Everybody’s got a price.”

Diego Garcia

A born and raised San Diegan, Diego Garcia is a lifetime Padres fan and self-proclaimed baseball nerd. Diego wrote about baseball on his own site between 2021-22 before joining the East Village Times team in 2024. He also posts baseball content on his YouTube channel “Stat Nerd Baseball”, creating content around trades, hypotheticals, player analyses, the San Diego Padres, and MLB as a whole.

A 2024 graduate of San Diego State, Diego aims to grow as a writer and content creator in the baseball community.