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The San Diego Padres have already made the biggest move at the MLB trade deadline, picking up Mason Miller. But if you looked at social media quickly later on, you may have thought that they made an even bigger deal. Fear not, Los Angeles Dodgers fans. This is not a Freddie Freeman trade. The Padres traded for Kansas City Royals catcher Freddy Fermin ahead of the deadline.
“The San Diego Padres are acquiring catcher Freddy Fermin from the Kansas City Royals for right-hander Ryan Bergert, sources tell ESPN,” Passan reported. He later added right-handed pitcher Stephen Kolek
Fermin is 30 years old and in his third full season in the major leagues. He has only ever caught in the majors, mostly keeping Salvador Perez out of the catching role as his career winds down. Fermin has a .648 OPS and is solid defensively, making him a significant upgrade over the Padres' current situation.
Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado both have an OPS under .580 this season and could both be free agents when it's over. Fermin has a .648 OPS and is not a free agent until 2030. Not only does this trade improve the Padres for 2025, but it gives them some certainty down the road.
The Royals' top two prospects are catchers, Blake Mitchell and Carter Jensen. They are both significantly younger than Fermin and could be better offensively. Taking that risk and bringing in two pitchers at the same time will help them down the road. Bergert was the seventh-ranked prospect in the Padres system before the trade, so he could become an important part of the Royals down the line.
The Royals could continue to sell, but don't expect Seth Lugo to go anywhere. He signed a two-year extension to stay in Kansas City through 2027. But could closer Carlos Estevez be traded while KC takes advantage of a bleak reliever market?
