The Padres Desperately Need To Address Their Weakest Position At The Trade Deadline

[Bryan Jaeger]

As of Friday, the Padres have the third-worst wRC+ for their catching position (64). That looks awful, but it's even worse when you factor in the league average 94. Elias Díaz, Martín Maldonado, and Luis Campusano have been massive disappointments at the plate.

Díaz is slashing .216/.283/.309 with three home runs, 16 runs, and nine knocked in with 153 plate appearances, and Maldonado has 99 plate appearances, hitting .187/.229/.308 with three home runs, five runs, and seven knocked in.

Campusano was recalled on May 24 but has been non-existent. In 20 plate appearances, he's accumulated zero stats. Also, Maldonado and Campusano are striking out over 30 percent of the time. The Padres are in the last Wild Card spot and must keep ground with the top NL teams.

The catcher position is not easy to address mid-season because the relationship between the battery mates is vital to success on the mound. Pitchers like to have "their" guy behind the plate, but the Padres can't risk not improving the catcher position. There likely won't be any big-name players on the market, but improvements are available.

What catchers could the Padres acquire at the trade deadline?

Sean Murphy
The Atlanta Braves' backstop is having a mediocre season, but has been a contributor in getting runs across the plate. He's slashing .222/.325/.459 with nine home runs, 14 runs, and 21 knocked in. The 30-year-old is striking out at a career-high 30 percent, but has a 118 wRC+.

He signed a six-year deal before the 2023 season, but the emergence of rookie Drake Baldwin has eaten into Murphy's playing time. The two are alternating starts, so trading Murphy could give the Braves some capital relief from the three years of $15 million per year remaining on his contract. Plus, it would allow Baldwin to be an everyday catcher.

Jose Trevino
Jose Trevino (Cincinnati Reds) signed a two-year deal this past offseason after three seasons with the New York Yankees. The 32-year-old is hitting .295/.328/.496 with four home runs, 18 runs, and 13 batted in.

The appetizing part of his stats is the 122 wRC+. That's 50 points higher than the current Padres options. The Reds have Tyler Stephenson behind the plate, so they may be willing to part with Trevino for the right price.

Trevino is also decent behind the plate. He has a 19 percent caught stealing rate and has thrown out eight of 34 steal attempts this season. 

Joey Bart
Joey Bart has not lived up to his second-overall 2018 draft status. He's not the sexiest name to be acquired, but he is a decent on-base candidate. In 170 plate appearances, he's walked at 12 percent and struck out only 23 percent. '

The 28-year-old hasn't lit up the stat line, hitting .240/.347/.308 with only one home run. However, playing for the Pirates doesn't help, as they've scored the second-fewest runs (227) on the season and knocked in the fewest runs (217).

Adley Rutschman
This is a big longshot, but Adley Rutschman is struggling this season, and the team's down season could open the door for the catcher. He has two more arbitration years left, so the Orioles could trade him to avoid the high-dollar arbitration numbers that may come.

The Orioles have another rookie backstop, making Rutschman's departure less painful. Maverick Handley has struggled in his MLB debut, but the team could give him more at-bats to see if he's ready for the big leagues.

The good news is that the only move worse than the Padres' current situation is not making a move. This allows the front office a breather, knowing they don't need the mentality that they "must get this right". However, if we want to overtake the Los Angeles Dodgers, we must solidify our lineup with hitters who consistently contribute to putting runs on the scoreboard.

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