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It was a little bit unclear what the San Diego Padres would do at the 2025 MLB trade deadline. Reports suggested that they'd consider trading Dylan Cease. Instead, they held on to their ace and made a surplus of deals to improve the roster for a title push this season.
The team made a deal with the Athletics for Mason Miller and JP Sears, but it came at the cost of Leo De Vries, one of the best prospects in baseball. The Padres also traded for the Baltimore Orioles' Ryan O'Hearn and Ramon Laureano to add more pop to the lineup.
They even made deals with the Kansas City Royals for Freddy Fermin, the Toronto Blue Jays for Will Wagner, and the Milwaukee Brewers for Nestor Cortes and Jorge Quintana.
The Padres were busier wheeling and dealing than any other team at the deadline, and they filled almost every hole on their roster. So are there any moves the team could still make?
Breaking down the Padres' trade deadline deals
All in all, the Padres made five separate trades during the trade deadline. They brought in eight new players, while 14 players departed, including eight Top 30 prospects. The farm system certainly took a hit, but the Padres are better set up to win the World Series now than they have been in a long time.
San Diego does not have any glaring holes after making those five trades. Of course, the Miller deal was the biggest. He is one of the best relief pitchers in baseball thanks to his triple-digit fastball. Miller can either close for the Padres or work as the best setup man in baseball.
The Padres also landed Sears in that trade. The Padres have had an injury-riddled rotation all season, so adding starting pitching depth made sense.
Yu Darvish just recently returned from injury, and Joe Musgrove and Michael King are still on the 60-Day Injured List. In addition to giving up De Vries, the Padres had to trade Braden Nett, Henry Baez, and Eduarniel Nunez. Those prospects ranked first, third, 13th, and 17th, respectively, in San Diego's farm system, making this one of the biggest hauls in trade deadline history.
Sears will compete with a fellow trade deadline acquisition for the last spot or two in San Diego's rotation. The Padres acquired Nestor Cortes alongside Quintana for Brandon Lockridge. Cortes only appeared in two games for the Brewers because of an elbow injury, but he has just been removed from the injury list and is ready to get to work for the Padres.
Cortes is known for his unique windups and deliveries. He was an All-Star in 2022. Quintana is only in rookie ball, but the Padres like his potential and needed a boost to a depleted farm system.
In addition to improving their pitching staff, the Padres added plenty of bats. Laureano can be the starting left fielder. He is having a surprisingly productive season with 16 home runs and a .288 batting average.
He and O'Hearn provide power to a team that doesn't have many home runs this season. O'Hearn made the All-Star Game for the Orioles this season. He will rotate between first base and designated hitter in a role similar to what Gavin Sheets provides.
Furthermore, the Padres improved their catcher situation with the addition of Fermin. Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado both have just .204 batting averages this season. The team also traded for Wagner. The ex-Blue Jay was already optioned to the minor leagues, but he provides infield depth.
Padres should sign Eloy Jimenez to a minor-league contract
There aren't many great players on the open market, and it is unclear who will be available to trade for before the waiver trade deadline. After the Padres went on a spending spree ahead of the trade deadline, they don't have any prospects worth calling up, either.
The lack of possible moves is one reason why the Padres were so active on deadline day, but there is still one move they could make. The Padres should sign Eloy Jimenez to a minor-league contract.
Jimenez looked like one of the best young power hitters in baseball when he broke into the major leagues for the Chicago White Sox. Jimenez belted 31 home runs in 2019 as a key piece of Chicago's young core.
That young core didn't pan out, and Chicago had to blow the ship up. That included trading Jimenez to the Orioles during the 2024 trade deadline.
The outfielder/designated hitter has struggled with injuries and regressed production for years, and he didn't even make Baltimore's postseason roster. He started the 2025 season in the Tampa Bay Rays' minor-league system, but he is currently a free agent.
Jimenez's fall-off has been disappointing, but he is still just 28 years old, so perhaps there is still something he could bring to a major-league team. The Padres rank second to last with just 95 home runs this season. The Padres could bring in Jimenez to do nothing but launch deep balls, probably in a pinch-hitting role.
While the Padres' trade additions brought in more power, and the bench should improve with Sheets moving to a reserve role, there would be no harm and no foul with trying out Jimenez.
The Dominican would be cheap to sign, and if he continues to struggle, San Diego wouldn't have much of a commitment to him. If Jimenez rediscovers what made him great as a rookie, though, the Padres could have their X-factor for a World Series run.
