There is no doubt that the San Diego Padres need offensive upgrades.

The team is one of the worst-hitting teams in the league. The offensive play in 2026 from the catcher position, minus Luis Campusano, has been horrible to say the least.

Freddy Fermin looks every bit the backup he was in Kansas City for four seasons. Ethan Salas is progressing in the minors, but he has a little more seasoning to do in the system. Luis Campusano started ice cold, then showed promise with the bat, only to succumb to injury. Rodolpho Duran is a career minor leaguer and not a viable option moving forward.

The Padres need help at the position.

In looking around the league, the catching position is one of weakness. There is just not a lot of depth right now.

The Miami Marlins are blessed with some depth in that department, as Liam Hicks is enjoying a great offensive year for the Fish. The 27-year-old left-handed hitting backstop owns 13 homers and an .825 OPS in 262 at-bats with Miami. He is the starting catcher with 23-year-old Joe Mack as the backup.

Coming into the 2026 season, Agustin Ramirez looked to be the team’s number one catcher.

In 2025, Ramirez slugged 21 homers and drove in 67 runs while putting up a .700 OPS for the Fish. Those are impressive numbers as a rookie, and he looked to build on them this season. However, that did not happen for Ramirez.

His glove work was an issue. The Marlins hoped he would out-hit his deficiencies with the glove. But it didn’t happen.

The right-handed hitter is currently in Triple-A, where he has recorded a .780 OPS in 41 games and 148 at-bats. Ramirez started 31 games at the major league level this season, but was sent down in early May after hitting only two homers and putting up a .663 OPS in 113 at-bats.

Ramrirez will not dazzle with the glove, but he owns excellent power and shows promise with the bat. He is also under team control through the 2032 season.

Currently toiling in the minors and buried by multiple catchers, Ramirez would not cost an arm and a leg. The Padres should be able to acquire him for a pitcher. Something the Padres have plenty of in and around the system. A deal could be easily consummated.

At this point, the Padres cannot continue to trot out catchers who provide no offensive ability. Luis Campusano will be back soon, but he comes with uncertainty, too. Adding Agustin Ramirez would only strengthen a unit that needs more faces. At the age of 24, Ramirez could still develop with the Padres and be a productive major leaguer.

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.