San Diego Padres Brandon Lockridge and Jason Hayward | Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images
Brandon Lockridge and Jason Heyward failing to produce at the plate
“The Padres need to make a trade or sign someone.”
The Friar Faithful expressed their frustration, as it was a rough weekend for the San Diego Padres. They were swept at home for the second time in less than a month, and the team is struggling to score runs.
My colleague Cheri Bell wrote
the Padres need an upgrade in left field. But there is no need for a panic move that has the look of desperation. Team President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller cannot have a knee-jerk reaction before carefully considering his options.
Preller will be applauded if he makes a smart, no-risk move. But the critics will be out if the front office mortgages the franchise’s future by trading away top prospects for a rental player.
The clock is ticking on the Padres
Usually, a deal is made because the club’s window of opportunity to win a World Series is rapidly closing. The hope is the move puts them back on track to win a title. If not, the general manager’s job security suddenly becomes an issue.
The Friars have a good team and everyone is committed to securing a postseason berth this season. However, the roster could look drastically different in 2026. Dylan Cease and Luis Arraez are eligible to become free agents at season’s end. Michael King has a mutual option to remain in San Diego next season.
It is hard to imagine all three leaving next winter. Still, Preller cannot stand pat and hope for the best. He cannot waste another promising season, as no one knows what the future holds.
The bottom third of the order is not producing
Remember, Xander Bogaerts, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and Jake Cronenworth are not going anywhere. All have long-term deals that will keep them in a Padre uniform well into the 2030s. All are valuable cogs to the offense, as the group can score runs when the bats are sizzling.
But the bottom third of the order cannot keep pace with the lineup’s top six hitters. They fail to grind out successful at-bats that produce a run in low-scoring wins.
An upgrade at the left field position is the logical move. Jason Heyward is an A+ defender, but he does not make enough contact to remain in the lineup. Brandon Lockridge is a good-glove, no-bat outfielder, who serves a role off the bench. However, another stretch of inconsistent play could force a change in left field.
Trading options should become clearer once other organizations assess whether they are contenders or pretenders. You can expect quality outfielders to become available after Memorial Day.
I suspect a deal will occur in June, which removes the look of desperation from the Friars. It will give the lineup time to turn the National League West chase into a two-team horse race.
The Padres do not need to make a move today. The Friar Faithful is confident Preller will add another bat to the mix. He has some tricks up his sleeve, and the roster will be different the day after the trade deadline.
