The Padres announced that they have acquired infielder Will Wagner from the Blue Jays for minor league catcher Brandon Valenzuela.
Wagner made his MLB debut last season, and impressed by hitting .305/.337/.451 over his first 86 plate appearances in the Show. The offense hasn’t been there this year, as Wagner has batted only .237/.336/.298 in 132 PA while playing mostly third and first base in part-time duty.
Wagner was primarily a second baseman in 2024 and throughout his minor league career, so he brings some multi-positional versatility to San Diego’s infield. He is a left-handed hitter, adding to a bevy of lefty-swinging bats on the Padres’ current roster, but naturally there’s plenty in flux on what has been a very busy deadline day in San Diego. It is very easy to imagine more moves taking place to further shake up the Friars’ 26-man roster, but Wagner also has three minor league options remaining, so the Padres could easily move him to Triple-A as depth.
Toronto’s infield situation was crowded enough that Wagner was something of a spare part. With Daulton Varsho expected back from the injured list soon, Addison Barger or Davis Schneider could get more time in the infield. Moving Wagner also opens up a 40-man roster spot for the Blue Jays, which could be a hint at more moves to come today.
The 24-year-old Valenzuela is in his seventh year of pro ball, and he has hit .229/.313/.387 over 374 PA with Double-A San Antonio this season. This is his third straight season of Double-A action, as a 27-game stint in Triple-A last year saw Valenzuela struggle at the plate, and it was enough to convince the Padres to bump him down a level for more seasoning. MLB Pipeline ranked Valenzuela as San Diego’s 26th-best minor league, noting that his hitting is his biggest question mark but his overall defense is very strong.
Biggest trade of the day for the Padres…
THIS is how you do a trade deadline.
This is the trade that wins the Padres their first ring!
Next Ohtani
Nope! Seattle Mariners will trade Dylan Moore for Ohtani in one for one! Dodgers Will agree to pay 90% of remaining salary
minus deferrals.
There’s a 40 man spot👀
Who do you have your eye on for that spot, JD? How’d ya feel about the Bieber trade? Your Jays are getting some nice pieces this deadline!
I’m hoping for Doval or Jax if they’re really going to pay a steep price.
Jax would be a killer add. Doval would be a nice buy-low guy, but when he is on, he’s on.
Doval to the Yankees, Jax to the Rays
Padres trying to field 2 teams.
Bench depth. Who gets the boot?
Johnson has an option – Laureano in LF. Even though DFA for TW would make more sense due to Bruce’s recent hitting streak.
Also, Diaz is dead weight (literally).
Who backs up Merrill in center if Johnson gets the boot? More likely either Sheets or Iglesias are traded.
I totally forgot Wade was still on the active roster. It’s gotta be Wade getting DFA’d.
El-Laureano would slide to CF in that scenario, and Sheets would probably start in LF.
Laureano has been primarily a corner outfielder the past couple seasons. At this point of his career, he does not have the range to play center. Even when he was younger, he graded as a below average defender in center. He’s not playing center for the Padres outside of an emergency. Johnson stays, more than likely.
He can 100% start in CF once every few weeks when Merrill gets a break or is DHing. Guessing Johnson’s gone.
Wade. Or Wagner heads to AAA.
Wade? Hasn’t played much lately
Finally, padres go after a real difference maker
There’s our new utility guy. Interesting that he’s LH. Wonder if that means Cronenworth or Arráez are on the move.
If Preller manages to offload Cronenworth’s contract everyone should bow down regardless of how you feel about the Padres.
You realize Cronenworth’s contract is cheap for a 2-4 WAR player..right?
The missing link….
Padres have made more trades than the NL Central!
(Not true, but it seems that way)
And the Cubs do nothing
They could be making moves that don’t change anything like the reds
Do you want the Cubs to blow up everything for a remote shot at winning it like the Padres are?
But… the Pads are trying, right METS? Would you rather a team (yours included) sit on their hands and not try?!?! Windows of contention must be accentuated along the way.
Gwynning I would be pissed if Stearns traded most of our farm away. I personally love to see young players come up from the organization and become valuable pieces or stars. If you were going to trade the #3 prospect away then trade him for an all star player that not a reliever. I agree the Padres are trying. I just wouldn’t like how they are trying as a fan. Look at the players you brought up from the minors on your roster. Tatis and Merrill. I would want that talent level to be brought up as opposed to trading everything away all the time.
Respect. Anyway, I love that we’re continually “going for it” with AJ at the helm. He’s been consistent in terms of keeping “his guys” in prospects Merrill and Tatis and is also consistent when it comes to moving pieces he deems “expendable”… that’s not to say he’s doesn’t like the prospects he ships out, but rather he views them as relative currency. I’m stoked that the ’25 (and ’26, honestly) Padres are better now. Good luck ROS!
I 100% think your odds went up for this season. Hopefully you all pass the Dodgers and take down your division.
Even last year, almost to a player, in post-WS interviews the Dodgers kept saying that the Pads were the best team they played all year, even in the Postseason. Hopefully AJ can get us over that hump! Cheers METS, be well.
Would actually be pretty cool to have him backup Kirk. Would likely be the first Mexican-born catcher duo in MLB.
Sarah Langs, is that you?
Unlike Padres, Toronto on flip side of minor deal here has been a bit quiet. Going to wild guess they get rental Houser or Cease in this final hour.
Padres front office line 9,
Please hold!
40 years ago.
Will the Padres be able to field any of their minor league teams or will they just sign the ball and bat boys to play the games?
I’m on my way to start in LF tonight!
“Mr. Preller, we have another GM holding on….Line 28.”
At 6pm the crash from the trade high is going to be brutal for AJ
So Preller keeps getting credit for all these moves? He put this team together back in April…… 6-7 new guys on the roster as of August 1. No chance they win. No clubhouse chemistry and these guys on expiring contracts know they won’t be there next year.
Will Wagner is not on an expiring contract. They’ve got him for 6 more years.
Cool. I liked Valenzuela for depth, but good pickup.
Coming in 30 minutes when my wife walks in the door from work:
WIFE: What did you do today?
ME: Homina, homina, homina…
Can I interest SD in Davis Schneider? Free. Full salary paid.
Who in the hell is gonna play in the minors for the Padres after this deadline? For real, they have traded their entire farm system today! Wow….
But Preller is thinking “Now our former #25 and #30 prospects will be ranked as our #2 and #3..”
.
Strange move for Shapiro considering Valenzuela has never played for CLE plus he’s not hurt or has a terrible contract.
No kidding. I also find this concerning in regards to the health of Kirk.
Valenzuela has spent all of this year at AA. He’s not likely playing for the Jays this season. If Kirk is somehow hurt worse then expected, this guy is not the replacement.
On the plus side, it is nice to know Shapiro/Atkins have a phone number for someone other then Cleveland’s main office.
I thought maybe they got some sort of discount phone system that only permitted one number.
In their defense, it’s two coconuts on a string to Cleveland. Good luck gents!
I mean, there’s a guy named musgrove. And another named pivetta next year.
King is a FA.
Are you trying to show you don’t know the padres or honestly just a confused soul?
Could be both?
Didn’t Billy Wagner retire?
He did and he made babies.
That’s Hall of Famer Billy Wagner to you, kid.
Mason Miller
J.P. Sears
Freddy Fermin
Ryan O’Hearn
Ramon Laureano
Will Wagner
That’s not a terrible off-season and that’s just what Preller has done today and there’s still a little over a half hour left to go
Padres fans be like:
MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Another failed Atkins deadline.
Can’t call it a fail yet. They have that Beiber lottery ticket in a suit pocket someplace, don’t they?
Sorry to see Wagner go. His numbers may not look great, but always gives you a good at bat, makes the pitcher work, and a sweet swing. Certainly more fun to watch hit than Jimenez or Giménez.
Yeah. He struck me as not a great athlete (he doesn’t run super well and doesn’t have a great arm) with limited power and not an obvious position.
He probably can play the role of OBP guy who doesn’t strike out a lot, but TOR has bunch of these guys.
Still, I am not sure what the need was to dump him. A 27 yr old AA player with not a lot of upside isnt something the Jays were in need of. Wagner could have been traded in the offseason.
The Giants could’ve used him, but they’re too busy collapsing.
As mentioned in the story, Varsho is coming back. Anyone out there besides me wishes he would just stay away? The Blue Jays are better off without his 0 for 4 night every night. Yeah, he’s good defensively, but his defense does not make up for the fact that he is all but a guaranteed out. I don’t care if he’s got some power, he can’t make contact. I have no use for guys who hit 18 hr but bat under .200. I’m old school that way.
I think it is not a coincidence the Blue Jays caught fire when the three guaranteed outs, Varsho, Montcastle and Gimenez all left the lineup.
machado on the decline? hes hitting .305, this is a stupid comment