The Padres have been looking for left field solutions for a while. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that they are interested in Steven Kwan of the Guardians, Luis Robert Jr. of the White Sox and Ramón Laureano of the Orioles. Their interest in Kwan was reported earlier this week.
Robert has been one of the clearest trade candidates for a while now. The Sox have been aggressively rebuilding and he’s not in their long-term plans. He’s in the final guaranteed year of his contract. There are a pair of $20MM club with $2MM buyouts. However, his mercurial production and frequent injury issues have made those seem less attractive.
He is at least in a good stretch now. In early June, he sat out a few games to focus on some adjustments to his approach. He had a .177/.266/.286 batting line at that time. Since then, he has hit .266/.349/.457 for a 122 wRC+. Even when he was struggling, he was still hitting lefties, stealing bases and fielding well. His improved offense of late won’t totally erase the memories of his slumps but it should help somewhat.
There have been some rumblings that the Sox could hold Robert and exercise the option if they don’t get an offer to their liking but that feels like an unwise path. They have already missed chances to sell him when his value was presumably higher. He had a great 2023 season but the Sox didn’t trade him at that time, when they could have felt they had four affordable years of club control. But in 2024, he was largely hurt and underperforming, which cut into his value. Holding him at that point and hoping for a bounceback was defensible, but then he his struggles carried over into the early parts of 2025.
Though he’s been better lately, he’s been inconsistent enough that it would be a real risk to hold him. It’s entirely possible that more injuries or slumps pop up in the second half, which would make it harder to justify picking up the option.
Laureano is also a logical candidate to move in the next week. The Orioles are in the midst of a disappointing season and are clear sellers. They’re not going to move controllable core pieces but general manager Mike Elias has admitted they will be looking to move guys who are “coming towards the end of their contracts.”
That should include Laureano, though he’s not strictly a rental. His one-year deal contains a club option for 2026. The O’s could keep him but he’s not a foundational piece for them, so they should be open to offers.
It also makes sense to sell him now since his career has been up-and-down but he’s been hot lately. He has 14 home runs and a .277/.337/.521 line this year, which translates to a 137 wRC+. He was sitting on a tepid .188/.216/.438 line at the end of April but has gone off since then with a .300/.366/.542 line.
For a few years now, the Padres have been dealing with a tight budget and various roster concerns. They traded Juan Soto ahead of the 2024 season, saving some money and adding rotation depth. They backfilled some of Soto’s production by signing Jurickson Profar for $1MM, which worked surprisingly well, though that also priced him out of San Diego’s range for this year.
The Friars tried to find low-cost solutions again. The first plan was a platoon of Jason Heyward and Connor Joe, who both got $1MM deals. However, both struggled and were off the roster before the end of June.
Another low-cost move is working out well. Gavin Sheets signed a minor league deal with the Padres ahead of this year. He has 14 home runs, a .253/.314/.424 slash line and a 109 wRC+. However, he’s not a strong defender in the outfield and would be better utilized at first base or in the designated hitter slot.
The trio of Sheets, Luis Arráez and Jake Cronenworth could cover first base, second base and DH if Sheets is no longer needed in left field. That would mean fewer plate appearances for Jose Iglesias, who is hitting .238/.297/.277. Tyler Wade and Trenton Brooks aren’t playing as often as Iglesias but are hitting .206/.309/.252 and .150/.190/.275, respectively.
Laureano has experience at all three outfield spots. Robert has only ever played center field. The Padres have Jackson Merrill in center, who is a strong defender. Since he’s signed through 2034, the Padres presumably wouldn’t move him for a short-term addition. Center fielders usually move to a corner spot with ease, so there shouldn’t be any real concern about Robert’s lack of experience in left.
With the Padres, the budget is an ongoing concern, as mentioned. Their offseason moves clearly showed a lack of financial wiggle room. In addition to Heyward and Joe, they gave small guarantees to Elias Díaz and Kyle Hart. They did give Nick Pivetta $55MM over four years but that deal is heavily backloaded, with the righty only making a $1MM salary this year, in addition to a $3MM signing bonus.
In addition to the financial concerns, the Padres have traded away a lot of prospects in recent years and their farm system isn’t well regarded. They have two strong pieces in Leo De Vries and Ethan Salas but all reporting has suggested the Friars want to hold those two.
It seems that president of baseball operations A.J. Preller is considering all kinds of scenarios in order to work around his constraints. Despite a questionable rotation, there have been a number of Dylan Cease rumors recently, though the Padres have also been connected to other starters such as Sandy Alcantara. It’s possible that Preller engineers a sort of musical chairs approach where he could trade Cease away for prospects or big league talent while saving some money and also bringing in other players. There have also been rumors that the Friars could subtract from or add to their bullpen.
That’s not unprecedented for the Friars. As mentioned, they flipped Soto ahead of last year for younger players, one of them being Drew Thorpe. Shortly thereafter, they used Thorpe as part of a package to get Cease. It’s possible that Preller again cooks up a number of trades that relate to each other.
Robert is making $15MM this year. About $5MM of that will be left to be paid out at the deadline, plus at least the $2MM buyout on his option. The Sox are reportedly willing to include cash in trading Robert, though that would be a way to extra prospect capital. The Padres would obviously welcome that financial arrangement but may not have the prospects, unless they get some in a Cease deal or some other trade.
Laureano is far more affordable, as he’s only making $4MM, which will leave roughly $1.33MM left to be paid out at the deadline. His 2026 club option is for $6.5MM with no buyout. If he stays hot through the end of the year, it’s possible that option looks like a good deal. In that scenario, the Padres could keep him for 2026 or flip him to another club in the winter.
The Padres have also been connected to Kwan and Jarren Duran of the Red Sox, though those are more long-shot candidates. Both of those players are affordably controlled beyond this season and their respective clubs are both still playoff contenders. Still, the Padres seem to be going over dozens of different trade permutations, so there are lots of different ways things could play out in the next week.
Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images
Do the Padres want Grisham back? Yankees should be selling, not buying this summer.
What are you talking about? Yankees have as a good a shot as anyone to win the WS. So sad how soiled and hateful Yankees fans are.
I have the Yankees in the playoffs, they need a starter or two and a reliever. If Fried and Rodon hold up, they’ll be good. Should get Fried a month of rest though, he has been falling off. Rodon too ideally. But they don’t have the depth. That’s why Adrian Houser and Aaron Civale both are good additions to the Yanks. The Yanks should be pounding down the White Sox door for one or both. Can get a third baseman too, Sosa or Vargas would be a nice add.
I doubt Vargas is on the market. He still has years of control left and is just starting to be valuable. Besides, Sox don’t have sufficient depth anywhere but C. For Houser and/or Civale, yeah, make an offer. Houser’s playing above his head if you look at surface metrics, but is still solid in several advanced ones.
Not even a Yankees fan and that’s a hot take.
Nah. We’ve fallen for that too many times already. Plus he doesn’t help vs lhp.
No. To both. The Padres need a RHB and the Yankees will be buyers.
Trent Grisham is available!
I mean, he does have good stock right now. But you would be losing a decent bat and a good defender.
If Preller wants him and a few extras for Cease, I’m good. It’s a pipe dream. Bellinger stays in CF and maybe call up Spencer Jones.
The Padres are looking for RH bats. Hate to ruin your illusions about unloading Grisham, but it won’t be to the Padres if it happens.
Ron- that’s not really true.
Kwan and duran are lefties and Preller has real interest in them.
I don’t see Grisham coming back though.
I could see Rice.
Simm-Sure..if it’s someone like Kwan or Duran, of course they’d be ok with a LH bat, but Grisham? Hell no.
They could use a lefty power bat. We have like the fewest homers in the league vs righties.
Though if they get one it may make sense to trade an existing lefty bat.
Agreed there. Personally, I see us ending up trading either Arráez or Cronenworth, as well as Cease, Suarez, and a handful of prospects in the 10-20 range by the time the deadline ends..and could see us ending up with 1-2 new, controllable starting pitchers, and something like Adolis Garcia in LF, and Rice at 1b/dh/c, along with a rh bench bat.
I’m not sure how the Padres would trade Arraez without taking on salary or incentivizing the prospect return; both seem to run counter to their current restrictions.
I’d be cool with Garcia in LF. Rice seems like a pipedream. If I were the Yankees, I wouldn’t move him for anything less than a top-10 prospect or ML talent at a different position of need with comparable years of control.
Straight- trading Arraez to the Yankees is definitely out now. Or anywhere else likely.
I do think the Yankees have real interest in Cease. I could see a cease and Suarez deal to the Yankees for Rice. Maybe not be all that’s included but makes some sense for both sides.
The Padres have not made offers for either Kwan or Duran. Listen to Preller. Ignore the media, especially the ones that originated those two clickbait rumors. Rarely do the Padres end up making any moves that the media writes about in advance. The media finds out about what Preller has done after the fact, so if they are spreading rumors then you can be sure that is not what Preller will do.
Preller said in no uncertain terms that the Padres are looking for RHBs. Plural, not singular.
Preller made an offer for Duran in the offseason before settling for spare parts in left field, but the FO here shot down rumors that they have entertained offers for Duran from any teams this season.
Duran is a LHB with platoon splits that make him a bad fit for your team.
Media reports notwithstanding, I don’t believe that Preller currently has interest in either Duran or Kwan. I could see him going after Roberts or Laureano.
Best, you hit the nail on the head about Duran not being a fit for the Padres and that Roberts prior to getting hit in arm and Laureano would be good fits. Laureano has inexpensive control for 2026. Personally, that is my preference of those two.
The rumors in the media about trades the Padres might make are almost always wrong. Preller keeps things under a tight leash, and we find out after the fact who he was working towards trading for.
YBC remember that when Jasson Dominguez takes a weird route to the ball and panics the second his foot hits the warning track late in a game. No way would I trade Grisham even if it means leaving Jones in AAA. It’s the time of year for proven MLB players.
Jones has even admitted himself more or less that he isn’t ready for the big leagues without his strikeout issues under control.
Not a RHB.
Luis Robert is known cheeky buns… i would know because I had a cheeseburger the other day and it was so good, but they added one too many pickles but other than that, a fine cheeseburger. I should also mention I am divorced, which was also cheeky buns but unlike the cheeseburger, was not something I could eat.
Idiotic post
Says the whitesox fan
Posts like this are probably why she left ya bro.
With a name like RonDarlingShouldntBeInTheHallOfFame, lemme tell you where you’re headed buddy
Can cheeky buns turn into batted runs? The age old question
I think the Padres really should get Robert’s. It would be great for everyone.
Mets: Especially for Robert. Just look at how much Sheets and Vaughn improved once they got off the Titanic.
Vaughn has had 31 abs. Let’s not get carried away. Robert is the iceberg that caused the Titanic to sink.
Mets: No, that would be larussa.
They should get Robert’s what?
I think the Giants are a better fit. Tauchman a better fit for the Padres.
Lauriano is a rh hitter for lefties and cf option for os in 2026. They should not dump him for a lottery ticket… a decent starter prospect yes otherwise he’s needed for next year…
The Padres have about 5 starter prospects who are either within a year of mlb, or have already come up. Seems like a solid fit.
From the Orioles’ standpoint, Laureano is a sell-high candidate. He’s only had one other season (2019) where he’s produced close to what he’s doing now. Odds are if they held onto him for 2026 he would not be anywhere near as productive, even though he’s affordable.
The Orioles still have a crowded outfield even assuming they lose both Mullins and Laureano this week. They are stuck with O’Neill, they have Cowser for the next several years, Carlson has played his way into a spot and has the added plus of being a switch hitter, Dylan Beavers in AAA deserves a look, Heston Kjerstad still there (in AAA), Enrique Bradfield is highly regarded as a potential Mullins replacement to debut in 2026.
The Orioles will want something for Laureano, he has an extremely affordable team option for next year.
As they should, but I think they will expect more than they’re offered
At this point i’d be more surprised if the Padres WEREN’T interested in every single trade candidate. They always are and always do trade for big names hoping something will finally stick and get them to the World Series and it never happens.
True
These candidates make much more sense for the padres.
I’d personally take Laureano over Robert. Given they would have another year of control at a lessor rate than Roberts. He has been way more consistent, is also paid less. Likely would even costs less prospects given Robert’s name the white Sox holding out for something good.
The Padres could actually use them both.
Laureano makes sense. Lose Johnson. I like Willi Castro too. Replaces Wade. If they can move Arraez, take O’Hearn.
Wouldn’t even need to move Arraez.
Send sheets to the bench. They have to have a bench bat to hit for these catchers mate in games. Sheets can get some spot starts and come off the bench. He hasn’t been hitting if late. His numbers have been in a decline. 103 wrc+ in June, 61 in June. He hasn’t been awful this month.
And jettison Iglesias?
Whoops. Forgot about Brooks. How is that possible.
I don’t know if Laureano would be cheaper in terms of prospect cost. He only makes $4M on the year compared to Robert’s $15M. Sure those are going to get pro-rated, but they’re both “rentals” with options and Laureano is having the better year with a lot less money owed
He would likely be cheaper prospects wise if the Padres wanted the Sox to pay down his salary.
Robert name value may add some interest as well.
I personally would go with laureano
The Padres can trade for Adley Rutschman instead!!!
As for the Orioles
I would like to see them with an outfield of
Cowser in LF
Robert Jr in CF
Laureano in RF
So I would not be happy with them getting Robert Jr and Laureano
But as a peace offering, you could take away Rutschman!!! and have him and keep him!!!
We’d love Adley in San Diego. We’ll give you a PTBNL per your offer.
So, are the Padres gonna trade for everybody that’s available??
According to Heyman and Nightengale. Notice that Kevin Acee hasn’t said much.
Sure, they’d like to trade nobody, but they got a lot that teams are interested in.. just mostly stuff buyers want. Suarez, Cease, and cronenworth seems to be coveted.
I also think Campusano has value to a team who wants to try him some at 1B/DH/C.
So there’s either 3 way trade potential, or interesting ideas with actually competitive teams.
I could see any of those padres listed above in a Red Sox trade.
JSC-Not to mention Bateman, Neighbors, Nett, Vasquez, etc. they definitely have the pieces to make deals.
L. Robert to the Phils makes the most sense to me. Unless they are just out on him?
Laureano has had a surprisingly productive season and makes sense for the Padres with his option for next season and the fact he won’t cost major prospect capital like Robert or Kwan
Ramon makes sense for the padres agree this shouldn’t be tough for Preller
Robert won’t cost much in terms of prospects. If the White Sox pay down his salary they might get a couple of mid-level prospects in return.
Hader, Lauriano, Robert Jr, Murphy, Ozuna, two or those,trade Cease, Suarez.
Why would those out-of-playoff-contention selling teams have interest in rental pitchers?
And if the Padres are intent on making the playoffs, why would they trade one of the two decent SPs (the other being Pivetta) that they have, especially given the uncertainty with Darvish and King at this time?
The White Sox will want prospects for Robert. The Padres don’t have any.
The Pads farm is reloaded with mid- to low- level prospects with upside. Easily enough to obtain Robert
Correction:
Padres farm is loaded with mid to upper level prospects.
not much at upper levels aside from De Vries who is 18 and a couple of RPs
What kind of prospects do you think Robert is going to take to acquire? Padres have a bunch of pitching prospects that would be a massive overpay to send for him
With Robert’s lack of performance, injury history, and salary it won’t cost much to get him.
Robert would be a big downgrade for Phillies.
Padres do not want Robert
Those are the two teams with the greatest interest in Robert.
Fix the problem permanently AJ overpay for Owen Caissie just pay the bill
Isaiah Lowe, Tirso Ornelas, Rosman Verdugo and Eduarniel Nunez to Miami for Sanchez and Bender.
Padres have need Ward… get er done today Perry!
Just noticed Robert is not in tonight’s lineup. Sox are playing the Cubs. Got a feeling something might pop today.
I just saw that too
Roberts is just not that consistent year to year and just not that good on offense which is what the Padres need.
Chris Getz can convinced to take a 20 year short infielder with no power then go get Robert. Downside he’s a gold glove OF. Upside he actually get coaches to tap his potential and you get him at a discount in FA.
Much better options than Luis
Robert Jr.
He had one good offensive year and been struggling with the Mendoza line ever since.
Padres have the prospects ti fix LF, cather, bench
Without giving up ther ,25- ’26
Starters.
Padres are one of the worst hitting teams in baseball vs LHP so Robert would be a good fit. So would Laureano. Kwan would not be a good fit.
Robert does not move the needle much for SD.