Padres still in search of upgrades to the lineup
Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
In a quest for more offense, the San Diego Padres will likely make a move to improve the lineup.
The San Diego Padres are off to a great start in the 2025 season.
After a winter of turmoil, the Padres are playing like one of the best teams in the league. They currently sit 10 games above the .500 mark, roughly 35 games into the season. The team accomplished this task with multiple injuries to players in the starting lineup.
Jackson Merrill missed a month of service time with a balky hamstring. Jake Cronenworth missed slightly more time with a rib fracture, and Luis Arraez went on the 7-day IL with a concussion after a hard collision at first base while legging out a ground ball. Jason Heyward also went on the I.L. Brandon Lockridge pulled up lame with a sore hammy and missed time as well. Injuries have hit the roster hard.
With all these injuries, the Padres made several calls to El Paso. We saw Tirso Ornelas make his major league debut. Connor Joe was also promoted. As were Tyler Wade and Oscar Gonzalez, who are still with the team. Eguy Rosario and Mason McCoy were also promoted during this flurry of injuries. Lastly, the team released Yuli Gurriel this past week, as that experiment simply did not work out.
Arguably, the Padres’ most significant needs are a consistent left field option, an upgrade at catcher, and a right-handed hitting complement to Gavin Sheets.
The team is getting minimal production from Oscar Gonzalez, Jason Heyward, Jose Iglesias, and both catchers (Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado). These guys are in the lineup on most nights, and it really makes the bottom third of the lineup an issue for San Diego.
Plain and simple. The Padres must get more production from the bottom of the lineup.
Here is a look at some possible ways the Padres may improve this season.
Internal options
The Padres do not have many hitting prospects in the higher levels of the system right now. Ethan Salas is in Double-A, but is injured and not hitting well. He appears to be a year or two away from service time. There are some men who, in time, may be able to contribute. But, for now, they are in the lower levels of the system.
The left-handed hitter made his debut a few weeks ago and looked decent. The Padres want him to get consistent at-bats, so that is the real reason why he is in El Paso. The need for the team isn’t necessarily a left-handed hitting outfielder right now. However, you have to figure Ornelas will be recalled a few times this season. If he can produce while in a Padres uniform, they may be forced to give him more playing time.
This switch-hitting outfielder is in El Paso and may debut at some point this season for the Padres. He will need a 40-man spot, so there is no rush to promote him. He played in Korea last year and was very productive. The 26-year-old owns a .941 OPS so far this season in Triple-A in 30 games. He is a bit of a wild card, but someone worth noting.
This is a real long shot, but DeVries is getting really close. The Padres would likely like to see him against Double-A pitching first, but he is showing signs that he will be on this roster at some point in 2026. That seems like a guarantee as the switch-hitter continues to impress. At 18, there is no need to rush him at this point.
Trade possibilities
The following teams are falling out of the playoff race early. They will need a miracle to make any mark on the 2025 season. It is early, but these teams will surely be sellers in the coming weeks as we head into trade season. The Padres will be knocking on their doors as they attempt to build a better roster for the playoffs.
Marlins
They are already out of contention and would surely move anyone on their roster for multiple players. Jesus Sanchez and Kyle Stowers make sense for the Padres. Stowers is having a breakout year at 27 and looks to be a productive player moving forward. The left-handed hitter is under control through the 2029 season. Sanchez is also a left-handed hitter and 27 as well. He has yet to put it all together and could be of interest to the Padres as a left-handed hitting option in the outfield should Jason Heyward continue to struggle.
White Sox
Luis Robert makes sense if the Padres wish to spend a little money. He is making $15 million this season and then has two consecutive team options at $20 million per season. The way he is playing, it is hard to justify his $20 million options, let alone the salary for the remainder of the 2025 season. His OPS is down to .646 this season despite a recent surge with the bat. The right-handed hitter just isn’t a justifiable option for the Padres.
Pirates
Pittsburgh has veteran outfielders Andrew McCutchen and Tommy Pham on the roster. The right-handed hitters are mere platoon options at this point in their careers. However, they are slight upgrades to what the Padres presently possess on the roster. Both McCutchen and Pham are on one-year deals, and there is no commitment beyond 2025. The Pirates also have Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis behind the dish, who could be of interest to the Padres. Joey Bart is the starter for the Pirates, but either catcher may be acquired for the right price.
Orioles
Baltimore is falling fast after a magical 2024 season. The Orioles may choose to sell soon, and they seem to have a plethora of outfielders who make sense to the Padres in some regard. The Orioles also have one of the best catching prospects in the game, Samuel Basallo, who is 20 and in Triple-A. Heston Kjerstad makes sense, but what would the Orioles require for him? These two teams match up, but an off-season deal seems way more likely than anything during the 2025 season.
Free agency
The free agents below are all still looking for work. None have announced a retirement. The Padres could secure any of these men on a very team-friendly deal. However, it remains to be seen if any of them represent an upgrade for the Padres in the 2025 season. But they are out there.
Martinez is 37 and coming off a season in New York where he produced a .725 OPS in 12o games for the Mets in 2024. He is nothing more than a DH at this point in his career, but that is what the Padres need. He owns a career .945 OPS against left-handed pitchers and would be an excellent complement to Gavin Sheets at the DH position moving forward. The right-handed hitter made $12 million last season, but would get nowhere near that now (obviously). Martinez is clearly at the end of his career but may be useful in a platoon role.
There were rumors this week that the Red Sox were interested in Anthony Rizzo as Tristan Casas went down this week with a season-ending knee injury. The 35-year-old Rizzo spent last year with the Yankees and put up a .637 OPS in 92 games. The left-handed hitter has not been overly productive with the bat for a few seasons. The Padres also seem to have left-handed options with Sheets and Ornelas in the minors. Rizzo seems like a far-fetched idea for the Padres in 2025.
The Royals reportedly offered Duvall a $1 million deal for the 2025 season, but the veteran rejected the offer. He is telling teams that he would only play for $3 million. That seems a little strange considering Duvall recorded a .569 OPS for the Braves last season and will be 37 in September. There is still power in that right-handed bat, and he plays defense really well, but he will need to take a pay cut. In 2023, Duvall put up an .834 OPS in 92 games for the Red Sox. Does he have something left? The Padres could use some outfield help, but Oscar Gonzalez is not an issue and comes at a league minimum.
At one time, A.J. Preller and the Padres coveted this versatile right-handed hitter. He had some great years for the Royals, but fell off the cliff with his production and struggled to play in the majors last season. Merrifield is 36 and put up a .625 OPS Last season between the Phillies and Braves. Merrifield can play all over the diamond, but does not seem like a good fit for the Padres. The ship has sailed on Merrifield, and he may never play in the majors again.
The Padres got excellent production from Peralta last year as he played the majority of the time when Fernando Tatis Jr. was hurt. Peralta got no offer from the Padres or any other major league team this past winter. The left-handed hitter will be 38 in August, and perhaps the Padres were afraid he would never replicate the same numbers in 2025. Strangely enough, the Padres also allowed Donovan Solano to leave in free agency after the Padres got great production from him in the 2024 season. Solano signed with the Mariners and is struggling mightily.
The verdict
At the end of the day, the Padres will likely make a move or two to shore up the offense. The Padres could be players in one or two of these free agents, but these men would likely need weeks of minor league service time to get their timing back up to par.
Preller is a trade guru, and he will explore upgrading the roster. The Padres have some depth in the minors that Preller would sell off for upgrades. Do not expect the Padres to go after a superstar, but that is not really what they need. They need production from the bottom of the lineup. They require a player or two with the ability to produce and extend an inning. A few lower-level prospects for a key veteran seem like the likely scenario for Preller and the Padres.
Stay tuned.
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.