At the MLB trade deadline, there are a couple of things that San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller can do. While adding a lefty masher and a left fielder are atop the team’s priority list, the Padres should also be looking to add a catcher to the roster.
Nick Lee of East Village Times called for the Padres to shift their focus from left field to catcher and a right-handed hitting designated hitter. Lee makes this suggestion because of the emergence of Gavin Sheets in left field, opening the door for other needs, like catcher.
“Of course,” Lee writes. “Catcher remains a big need. The Padres are among the worst teams in baseball at the catcher position.”
Two catchers on the Padres MLB roster have made the most starts for the team in 2025. Martin Maldanado, who plans to retire after his 2025 season, and Elias Diaz, a former All-Star who hasn’t found his footing since his incredible 2023 season with the Colorado Rockies.
Maldanado has struggled offensively and defensively for the Padres. His Fielding Run Value is negative five, 27th worst among all players in 2025. He also has a 47 OPS+ as a batter. With a 100 OPS+ being average, that means that Maldanado is 53 percent worse than the average hitter in 2025.
Diaz, meanwhile, has been better at the plate as a defender and batter. As a hitter, his OPS+ is 68, only 21 percent better than Maldanado’s. But, defensively, Diaz has been a lot better than Maldanado. He has a zero Fielding Run Value and is ranked as the 151st “worst” fielder. He’s middle of the pack defensively, while Maldanado is one of the worst out there.
The need at the position, when looking at these two players, is clear. While Ethan Salas is a top prospect, he’s still a ways away from making his MLB debut. In the meantime, the Padres need to strongly consider adding a much better offensive catcher than Maldanado or Diaz.
Lee calls the need for a new catcher one of the biggest needs following the emergence of Sheets as a competent left fielder. Based on how Maldanado and Diaz have played in 2025, that need couldn’t be any more apparent than it is now. Preller and the Padres need to decide catcher by the trade deadline, otherwise the Padres will have a wasted roster spot on a team with World Series aspirations.
