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The San Diego Padres have made the playoffs in two of the last three seasons. Last year, the Padres lost in the NLDS to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and 2022 saw San Diego lose to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS. This season should be no different for them. However, if San Diego wants to be true World Series contenders, they will have to make a few moves at the MLB trade deadline.
The Padres were in on Rafael Devers before he was traded in division to the San Francisco Giants. Interest in a superstar shows that San Diego wants to win this season. There is no reason for the Padres to head to the trade deadline as sellers, and they will most likely not be.
With San Diego poised to be buyers, there are a few players that would make an immediate impact on the team, allowing them be World Series contenders.
Padres team needs
The easy answer right now is pitching. Specifically, the Padres need starting pitching. They have been hit with the injury bug pretty hard this year, and the rotation is taking a hit because of it. Joe Musgrove has been out all year after he received elbow surgery last year, while Yu Darvish suffered a setback in his rehab. Neither of those pitchers have taken the mound this year, and it is not looking good for the rest of the season, either.
Along with them, Michael King is dealing with a nerve injury, but he should be back before the end of the season. Ryan Bergert is hitting the IL after taking a line drive off the side of his body. That leaves four starters on the IL, and the Padres have to find a way to fix that. Going out an getting a starting pitcher would be the best thing for San Diego to do.
Along with a starting pitcher, San Diego needs a catcher that will produce at the plate. Elias Diaz has an OPS of just .604, and Martin Maldonado's is lower at .562. These two catchers might be doing a good job defensively, but they are providing no help at the plate this season. If the Padres can find a productive catcher, it would be a huge help.
The Padres should reach out about Mitch Keller
Mitch Keller is not a free agent until after 2028. That means his price could be significantly higher because of his years of club control. Even with the higher price, Keller could be a great fit in San Diego, and he would immediately make an impact in the rotation.
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The Pirates seem to be open to trading Keller, as well. The Chicago Cubs are in contact about the starting pitcher, and with conversations happening, it means the Pirates will trade him away for the right price. San Diego needs to be the highest bidder in that case.
On the season, Keller is 1-10 with a 4.02 ERA through 94.0 innings pitched. He has struck out 73 batters, walked 24, and opponents are batting .249 off him. The record should be taken with a grain of salt. He is not on a great team, and in order for Keller to earn a win, he would have to throw a shutout it seems. Point being, the right-hander is a lot better than his stats suggest.
If the Padres can find a way to acquire Keller, it would help them become World Series contenders.
Ryan Jeffers would fill a big whole in the lineup
Not much has been said about the Minnesota Twins plans for the deadline. However, they are four games under .500, and they do not seem to be competing for a playoff spot. With Minnesota most likely going to miss out on the postseason, they should try to sell off some of their better players to help build for the future.
That is where Ryan Jeffers come into play. Jeffers is a free agent after the 2026 season, and he is 28 years old. Along with that, Minnesota has a few catchers in their top prospect list that will be ready for the MLB in the next year or two.
On the season, Jeffers is slashing .248/.346/.402 with six home runs, 29 RBI, and just 47 strikeouts to 28 walks in 63 games played. The right-handed batter would be better than both the catchers San Diego is putting out there daily. His defense is just average, but his bat makes up for it. He might take a few prospects to acquire, but the Padres would be smart to pursue Ryan Jeffers. Doing so would make San Diego World Series contenders.
