The Padres have depth concerns at catcher. How can San Diego bolster the backstop spot?

Entering 2024, the Padres assumed Luis Campusano would take hold of the starting catcher spot. That was after he finished 2023 with a hot bat. From August 19 to the end of the 2023 season, Campusano batted .333 with an .880 OPS in 24 games. He looked like he was finally turning his top prospect pedigree into MLB production.

Unfortunately, he came crashing down to Earth after playing on a much more everyday basis in the first half of 2024. From the beginning of the season until June 20, the Georgia native hit .234 with a meager .653 OPS in 66 games. After that, he got hurt and was sent to the injured list. Meanwhile, Kyle Higashioka took hold of the starting spot. Campusano was eventually demoted to Triple-A (a true demotion, not a rehab assignment), playing his final MLB game on September 7.

Not only did he struggle at the plate, but he was one of the worst defensive catchers in baseball. Per Baseball Savant, he ranked in the second percentile for pitch framing. In blocking balls, he ranked in the sixth percentile for blocks above average. His 16 percent caught-stealing rate ranked third worst among catchers who played at least 81 games.

At first, Higashioka was just a throw-in to the Juan Soto/Michael King package from the Yankees. Eventually, he became San Diego’s number-one option behind the plate. That was sparked by a white-hot run during most of June and July. In 35 games between June 1 and August 7, Higashioka put together an eye-popping 1.009 OPS with 13 home runs. In that 35-game span, he exceeded his previous career high for home runs in an entire season. He finished with 17 on the season, shattering his previous career high of 10.

Those home runs included a walk-off on June 11 against the Athletics. Plus, five other go-ahead home runs. Higashioka came through in the clutch with the bat many times. He earned the starting catcher role emphatically. Plus, he was above average (65th percentile) at pitch framing, with an 20 percent caught stealing rate.

Sadly, the Padres were unable to bring the Huntington Beach native back. He reached a deal with the Texas Rangers this week.

Rangers sign catcher Kyle Higashioka to a 2-year deal with a mutual option for 2027. pic.twitter.com/U1eDlvi1df

— MLB (@MLB) December 3, 2024

So, where does this leave the Padres? In some ways, they are back to where they started before the Juan Soto trade. Luis Campusano is currently the only catcher on the Padres’ entire roster with even 40 games of MLB experience at catcher. Brett Sullivan remains on the 40-man roster, with 36 games of MLB experience behind the plate.

The easy answer is to look for an upgrade in free agency. However, that market this winter is not very robust. The top option, per FanGraphs, is Carson Kelly, formerly of the Rangers. Yasmani Grandal, Danny Jansen, or brief former Padre Elias Diaz.

None of those options would be franchise-altering. What the Padres may need to seek out is a band-aid option until prized prospect Ethan Salas is ready in 2026 at the earliest. He is 18 years old and just went through a challenging season in High-A Fort Wayne. He batted .206 with a .599 OPS and below-average 75 wRC+ in 111 games for the TinCaps. Clearly, more seasoning is needed. There is an entire MLB season in between now and when Salas might be close to ready for the Show.

The Padres need another MLB-ready catcher in 2025 besides Campusano and Sullivan, who is a fringe roster player. This isn’t to say Campusano can’t improve more and still become the franchise catcher all fans and Padres brass hoped he would be. It’s easy to forget that Campusano has just 168 games of major league experience, just over one full season. There is still a little sand left in the hourglass, but not much, given the Padres’ championship window.

If the Padres opt for the free agency route, bringing back Elias Diaz makes the most sense. He had some big at-bats down the stretch for the Friars and was even on their postseason roster. This is a player who was the All-Star Game MVP in Seattle in 2023, representing the Rockies. His defensive metrics are respectable. They certainly are better than Campusano’s from this past season.

If the Padres want to find their next franchise catcher for the next several seasons, they would need to swing a trade. Willson Contreras is likely the only needle-moving catcher that would be available via trade this winter. The three-time All-Star had a .848 OPS while battling injuries, totaling just 84 games for St. Louis. His average salary is $17.5 million per year. The Padres would need to get creative to bring him on.

However it happens, the Padres desperately need another quality catcher. Whether it’s another veteran on a one-year deal or a blockbuster trade, this team needs more competition for Campusano.

Nick Lee

Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.