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The San Diego Padres enter play on Monday only a game back of the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. With more than two months to go before the trade deadline, it's safe to say the team is in position to be buyers, and one insider expects them to make a big move to upgrade their outfield.
The Padres have primarily gone with Jason Heyward and Brandon Lockridge in left field, and San Diego players are only hitting .190 with a .504 OPS at the position. Given that the Padres have weapons up and down the order, it's not the end of the world to not have much production in left — but Padres GM AJ Preller is known to be aggressive and this is a clear area of need.
“Jason Heyward is playing solid defense, but the 35-year-old is hitting .173/.226/.280. Both the eye test and Statcast say he’s not been unlucky,” Dennis Lin of The Athletic argued.
“The Padres love what he brings inside the clubhouse, and Brandon Lockridge has been serviceable, but left field should be the team’s top priority on the waiver wire, in in-season free agency and as the trade deadline gets closer. The Padres simply need more options.”
Tyson Neighbors is a possible Padres trade chip
The Padres' farm system ranked 25th out of 30 teams as of Opening Day, per MLB.com, but that doesn't mean the team has no trade chips. In his early season trade deadline preview, ESPN's David Schoenfield suggested High-A relief pitcher Tyson Neighbors as a possibility.
“A closer at Kansas State whom the Padres took in the fourth round of last year's draft, he has the potential to move quickly to the majors,” Schoenfield wrote in late April.
Neighbors, who ranks 15th in the Padres' system, again according to MLB.com, is off to an electric start to 2025. His 28 strikeouts in 16 innings give him a whopping 15.8 strikeouts per nine, and he pairs that with a 1.13 ERA and 0.938 WHIP.
“All three of Neighbors’ pitches have the potential to play at least plus in the Majors,” MLB said of the fastball-curveball-slider pitcher. “He doesn’t issue as many walks as typical relief prospects, and with 20 saves over his final two seasons on campus, he’s clearly comfortable in high-leverage situations.”
