What Are The Padres' Biggest Positional Needs Heading Into The Trade Deadline?

[Randy Holt]

There isn't enough time left in the calendar to change the trade deadline path for the San Diego Padres. They'll land on the buying side of things. Winning three of their last four series (and splitting the other) has given them some breathing room in the wild card race, while the Los Angeles Dodgers' struggles have given them some renewed life on the divisional side as well. That stretch has expelled any doubt that A.J. Preller will be a busy man ahead of July 31st. 

Of course, we know he's also working with limited resources relative to some National League counterparts. Preller's prior aggressive trades have left the farm system in the league's bottom half, which will make it difficult for the Padres to address multiple needs to the level they may require. Nevertheless, certain positions require more immediate upgrades than others ahead of the end of the month. Below, we rank the San Diego roster by positional value, working our way from area of lowest (or, in some cases, non) need to spots with the most dire situation.

Right Field: 3.9 fWAR, 127 wRC+, 8 FRV
Fernando Tatis Jr. has been able to maintain a spot among the highest Wins Above Replacement output primarily on the strength of his defense. The offense faded after a strong start, but he has started to regain form after a brutal May & June (148 wRC+ in July). At his best, there are a small handful of players better than the Padres' right fielder. As long as he's healthy, this isn't even a minor area of need this month.

Third Base: 3.3 fWAR, 141 wRC+, -4 FRV
As stable as the Padres are in right field, Manny Machado offers much the same at the hot corner. He's at a 137 wRC+, which would represent his best overall output since 2022. The strikeout rate is down, the walk rate is up, and the power has bounced back after a quiet start to the year. His defense isn't quite what it was, but he compensates effectively enough courtesy of everything he does on the offensive side. Again, nothing to see here.

Shortstop: 2.6 fWAR, 102 wRC+, 8 FRV
Weirdly, the San Diego Padres can be fine down the stretch with Xander Bogaerts starting at the six. I say weirdly because there was a point earlier this year when we were ready to call it quits on any hope for Bogaerts and the eight years he'll have left on his contract after 2025. However, his offense has stabilized, and he has risen to the positive wRC+ threshold (107) while offering solid defense. There isn't much power to speak of, but he's compensated well with his walk rate and baserunning. There's value here that we didn't think still existed in May. No reason to think anything will change at shortstop now.

Center Field: 1.9 fWAR, 104 wRC+, 5 FRV
Jackson Merrill has endured two separate Injured List stints and, as such, has been unable to find his footing in 2025. Nevertheless, he's still an above-average bat with an above-average glove. The Padres will hope he can rediscover some of his power in the second half, but he still offers the same level of stability that his above comrades provide.

Second Base: 0.9 fWAR, 97 wRC+, -3 FRV
Could the Padres stand for more production from the keystone? Maybe. But Jake Cronenworth is quietly turning in a very solid year with a career-best .356 on-base percentage and more power than we've seen since 2021 (.166 ISO). The defense isn't terrific, and we had some questions about his value as a walks-only bat. Still, when you consider the approach and now-present occasional power, he's an excellent down-the-order bat considering the output. 

First Base: 0.5 fWAR, 111 wRC+, -6 FRV
If the phrase "it is what it is" were a position, then first base would be that for San Diego. Luis Arráez is up to his usual stuff. The singles merchant isn't hitting for quite the same average, but .284 is still more than respectable. The strikeout rate is a hilarious 2.9 percent. You'd like more impact here, but you're still getting the hit tool. The larger concern lies on the defensive end. Arráez is part of the league's worst defensive group at first base. Nothing about the profile suggests him as a long-term option. However, you have nowhere else to put him (if other needs are addressed appropriately), and there isn't a wealth of first-base talent available on the market. You'll just have to bear it through the end of the year as is.

Designated Hitter: -1.6 fWAR, 70 wRC+
This is where the must-acquire types begin. Fifteen different players have received at least one appearance as the team's DH, with only Gavin Sheets appearing in more than 15 games out of that spot. In an ideal world, you acquire a left fielder and relegate him specifically to these duties. Given the year he's turning in, you're likely to get more out of the spot than you have at any other point. So it isn't as much about acquiring a bat specifically as it is acquiring a positional bat that allows you to fill this position more organically. It's a need, for sure, but one that can be addressed by filling one of the two more pressing needs that follow.

Left Field: -0.3 fWAR, 73 wRC+, 0 FRV
Six teams have gotten less overall value, and only four have gotten less offensive value out of left field than the Padres. Things looked much worse before Sheets took over more of a full-time role, but his defense is still hazardous at best. You want someone who can provide offensive value and at least average defense to start solidifying things. This is where the organic improvement I mentioned earlier can begin to take hold. Acquiring even an average player to throw in left allows you to move Sheets to the DH spot. And while he has helped shore up some of the offensive shortcomings, that this still exists as the team's second-biggest need ahead of the deadline speaks to how dire things have been since Jurickson Profar's departure.

Catcher: -0.8 fWAR, 67 wRC+, -10 FRV
Things are quite bad behind the plate. Offensively, defensively, it doesn't particularly matter. The duo of Elias Diaz and Martín Maldonado has been the league's second-worst tandem in terms of fWAR. Typically, teams don't love the idea of trading for a catcher in-season. You've got pitching staffs to navigate, after all. However, considering the current situation, it's the team's most pressing need. If not on the offensive side — offensively-adept catchers are still fairly rare — then it'll help out your pitching staff in a number of ways. It also represents perhaps the easiest pathway to improvement when considering some of the help that might be available from other organizations soon (e.g., Reese McGuire, Korey Lee, etc.).

View full article