The San Diego Padres have two clear needs: a catcher and a left fielder. With the trade deadline just around the corner, there are plenty of rumors about potential additions for the Padres.
But, for Nick Lee of The East Village Times, one trade proposal could plug both of the major needs the Padres have. Lee proposes the Padres and the Chicago White Sox link up on a deal that’d land a new catcher and left fielder in San Diego.
Lee would have the Padres sending Luis Campusano and prospects Tirso Ornelas (11th-ranked prospect) and Tyson Neighbors (15th-ranked prospect) to the White Sox for outfielder Mike Tauchman and catcher Korey Lee.
“If the Padres were to swing a trade for both Lee and Tauchman,” Lee writes, “It would address the lack of depth at catcher and boost the lineup with an MLB-quality outfield bat without needing to conjure a blockbuster package to Chicago.”
It’s a great concept for a deal, as the White Sox are one of the few confirmed sellers, and Tauchman and Lee are both pieces the Padres could realistically acquire. Neither would cost a fortune, and combining the two into one deal would plug two holes on the roster.
Tacuhman is under team control through 2026, and is hitting .283 with four home runs in 159 at-bats this season. His 126 OPS+ and .809 OPS are strong numbers and intriguing statistics worth buying into.
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He isn’t an everyday starter for the White Sox, so there may be some concern once he’s in such a role in San Diego, but it’s worth the risk, especially since this deal would have him packaged with another player who fills a huge need.
Lee is a catcher who’s spent the majority of his season in the minors or on the bench. He’s had just 28 at-bats this season, in which he has a .657 OPS and a .250 average. Lee isn’t the best offensive catcher, but his defense is great.
He’s got phenomenal pop time, evident by his 97th percentile pop time in 2024 according to Baseball Savant. Lee is a plus behind the plate, and in the minors this season, he’s hitting .267 with a .781 OPS, respectable numbers that’d be worth taking a flyer on.
Part of what makes this proposed deal from Lee so appealing is the lack of assets needed to make it work. Two prospects outside the Padres’ top ten, and Campusano, who hasn’t had a hit in 21 at-bats this season, wouldn’t be a lot to give up.
Taking a chance on both Lee and Tauchman makes a ton of sense. They’re cheap, reasonable options for the Padres to target with a weaker farm system. Instead of moving their top prospects, the two White Sox players in this trade proposal can be had for a very reasonable price.
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