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Padres Looking To Trade For Left Field Help

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No team in baseball has gotten less from the left field position this season than the Padres, whose left fielders have combined for an unimpressive –0.7 bWAR over the team’s first 50 games.  While the trade deadline is over two months away, it isn’t surprising that this glaring weakness is already on the radar, as Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that “the Padres have begun exploring the trade market for a left fielder.”

The list of internal options got even thinner on Saturday when San Diego placed Jason Heyward on the 10-day injured list due to a left oblique strain.  The severity of Heyward’s strain isn’t yet known, but even a minor oblique issue usually means at least a few weeks of recovery time, which deals another blow to what has already been a rough season for the veteran outfielder.  Heyward is hitting only .176/.223/.271 over 95 plate appearances, and he already missed 10 days of action in April due to an earlier IL stint for left knee inflammation.

Luis Campusano was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move for Heyward, technically giving the Padres three catchers on the roster between Campusano, Elias Diaz, and Martin Maldonado.  However, manager Mike Shildt indicated that Campusano will act as the Padres’ DH against left-handed pitching, and could also get some time as a first baseman.  Either deployment could free up Gavin Sheets to spend more time in left field, and the combination of Sheets, Brandon Lockridge, and utilityman Tyler Wade are expected to handle left field duties until Heyward is healthy or perhaps until a new addition joins the team.

After Jurickson Profar departed in free agency, San Diego signed Heyward and Connor Joe to one-year, $1MM free agent contracts with the idea that the two veterans could form an inexpensive left field platoon.  Those plans went awry due to Heyward’s struggles and the Padres’ preference to give prospect Lockridge more of an extended look at the MLB level, so Joe (who appeared in only seven big league games for the Friars) was dealt to the Reds earlier this month.  Oscar Gonzalez was also released earlier this week so he could sign with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of NPB, as the Padres parted ways with another under-performing outfielder.

Lockridge is hitting just .197/.258/.262 over 68 PA, and rookie Tirso Ornelas also hasn’t done much in limited playing time.  Sheets is enjoying a very nice year at the plate but he is a defensive liability as a regular outfielder, plus regular usage in left field would also create another lineup hole since Sheets would spend less time in the first base/DH mix.

Given that the Friars acquired Luis Arraez from the Marlins in early May 2024, it wouldn’t necessarily be a shock if president of baseball operations A.J. Preller moved sooner rather than later on a significant addition.  That said, the Arraez trade was something of a perfect storm of circumstances, as most out-of-contention teams wait until much closer to the deadline to start unloading their top trade chips.  Landing the left-field equivalent of an established regular like Arraez is also not simple, as the Padres might for now just be looking for more part-time or platoon types.

Since it is only late May, struggling teams like the Orioles or Pirates will likely see how June plays out before moving fully into sell mode.  If Baltimore can’t turn around its shocking disappointing season, such outfielders and impending free agents as Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn, or Ramon Laureano could all be of interest to outfield-needy teams like the Padres.  Tommy Pham is having a rough year for the Pirates and might be available earlier, but despite Pham’s struggles, the ex-Padre might get some consideration from his former team.

Looking at teams who are already in clear sell mode, White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi is probably too expensive to merit serious trade consideration unless Chicago eats the majority of Benintendi’s remaining salary.  Mike Tauchman, Michael A. Taylor or Austin Slater also figure to all be available as deadline rentals.  Another early trade with the Marlins might be possible since Jesus Sanchez is readily available, yet Sanchez hasn’t hit much in 2025.  The Rockies figure to be open to moving anyone besides their most prized younger players, though Colorado’s roster doesn’t offer much in the way of a clear upgrade for San Diego.

Padres Option Stephen Kolek, Connor Joe

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The Padres announced that they’ve optioned Stephen Kolek, Ron Marinaccio, Luis Campusano and Connor Joe to Triple-A El Paso. None of those players will start the season on the major league roster.

Kolek’s demotion is most notable, as it essentially finalizes the Opening Day rotation. Kyle Hart and Randy Vásquez will open the year as the respective fourth and fifth starters behind Dylan Cease, Michael King and Nick Pivetta. (Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune wrote earlier this evening that the team was leaning in that direction.) There were two spots up for grabs with Yu Darvish beginning the season on the injured list as he battles elbow inflammation.

A 2023 Rule 5 pick, Kolek spent last season in the MLB bullpen. He posted a 5.21 ERA across 46 2/3 innings. While Kolek’s 18.5% strikeout rate was mediocre, he got ground-balls at an excellent 55.9% clip. He showed enough that the Padres built him back up as a starter this spring. Kolek had a good camp, pitching 12 1/3 innings of three-run ball with a 61.5% ground-ball rate.

That evidently wasn’t enough to leapfrog Hart and Vásquez on the depth chart. Hart, a 32-year-old southpaw, signed a $1.5MM free agent deal after spending last season in Korea. His four career major league appearances came with the Red Sox in 2020. Hart has given up eight runs over 7 2/3 Spring Training frames, but his 2.69 ERA in the KBO last year made it likely he’d crack the rotation. That was less clear with Vásquez, who started 20 games with an ERA approaching 5.00 for San Diego a year ago. He has recorded seven strikeouts with one walk over eight innings this spring.

Campusano was ticketed for Triple-A once the Padres tabbed Martín Maldonado to work as the backup catcher behind Elias Díaz. Assuming he spends at least 20 days in the minors, this will be Campusano’s final option year. It’s a make or break season for the former top prospect. Joe signed a $1MM free agent deal to work as the short side of a left field platoon with Jason Heyward. He’s been passed on the depth chart by Brandon Lockridge even though he hit .316/.469/.447 this spring. Lockridge, another righty-hitting outfielder, is a superior runner who’ll provide more athleticism on Mike Shildt’s bench.

Brandon Lockridge Makes Padres’ Roster

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Outfielder Brandon Lockridge has made the Padres’ Opening Day roster, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. He will seemingly be the club’s fourth and final bench player, as it was reported yesterday that veterans Yuli Gurriel, Jose Iglesias and Martín Maldonado will be selected to take the three other spots.

As noted by Cassavell, a spot going to Lockridge will have domino effects for the six other players left in camp: Luis Campusano, Connor Joe, Mason McCoy, Oscar Gonzalez, Tyler Wade and Eguy Rosario. The first three of that group have options and seem likely to be sent to Triple-A. Gonzalez is on a minor league deal and can also be sent to the minors, though Cassavell notes that he does have an opt-out at some point during the season.

As for Wade and Rosario, they cannot be optioned and seem likely to be either traded or designated for assignment in the coming days. That would open up two of the three spots needed on the 40-man for Gurriel, Iglesias and Maldonado.

Lockridge, 28, made his major league debut last year. He only got sent up to the plate 12 times and produced a rough line of .167/.167/.417 in that small sample. Naturally, his minor league production has been better, with a combined line of .278/.357/.417 in the minors over the past four years. He also stole 122 bases in that stretch, including 46 in just 104 games last year. Defensively, he has plenty of experience in all three outfield spots. That makes him a solid guy for the bench, as he can serve as a pinch runner and defensive substitution. As a right-handed hitter, he could perhaps platoon with Jason Heyward in left field at times.

Wade, 30, has generally served as a light-hitting utility player during his career. He has a .217/.291/.289 batting line over eight seasons, production which translates to a 64 wRC+. But he has been able to steal some bases and bounce around the diamond, lining up at every position except first base and the battery.

He has just over five years of major league service time. The Padres tendered him a contract at the end of last year, avoiding arbitration with a deal that includes a $900K salary this year and a club option for 2026. The club presumably planned on having him back a multi-positional bench guy but they pivoted to Iglesias when he was unsigned in the beginning of March, so Wade will apparently be nudged out.

Assuming the club designates him for assignment and puts him on waivers, any club could claim if they were willing to take on that salary. However, since he has at least five years of service, he has the right to elect free agency and keep that money if he clears waivers. At that point, clubs would be free to sign him for the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster, with the Padres still on the hook for the rest.

Rosario, 25, has appeared in the past three major league seasons but has received a total of just 100 plate appearances with the Padres in those. His .245/.283/.500 line is pretty good but top heavy, as he has five home runs but a 4% walk rate and 34% strikeout rate.

That hasn’t really been a problem in the minors. Over the past four years, he has drawn walks in 10.9% of his plate appearances on the farm while getting punched out just 20.9% of the time. He has a combined .279/.363/.493 line in that time for a 115 wRC+. Defensively, he has played all four infield positions in addition to some corner outfield work.

It’s a decent profile overall. FanGraphs had him ranked as the #11 prospect in the system as of July. Baseball America gave him the #19 spot going into this season. Though he’s out of options, he will probably hold appeal for other clubs. He has between one and two years of service time, meaning he could be retained through the 2029 season if he sticks somewhere else.

Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images

Padres Option Luis Campusano

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The Padres made a few moves before tonight’s matchup with the Mariners. Most notably, San Diego optioned catcher Luis Campusano to Triple-A El Paso. The Friars also placed Martín Pérez on the paternity list while recalling outfielder Brandon Lockridge and lefty reliever Tom Cosgrove.

It’s the first optional assignment for Campusano in two years. He has played briefly in the minors on injury rehab assignments but hadn’t been demoted since 2022. It looked last season as if Campusano had broken out as San Diego’s answer behind the dish. While a thumb injury cost him the bulk of the year, he raked at a .319/.356/.491 clip over 49 games. The Friars felt comfortable letting Gary Sánchez walk and turning to Campusano as their season-opening starter.

The 25-year-old has appeared in a career-high 91 games. He hasn’t produced on either side of the ball, leading both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference to rate his play as slightly below replacement level. Campusano has stumbled to a .227/.281/.361 batting line through 299 plate appearances. While that might be tolerable if he were playing well behind the plate, his defensive grades have been very poor.

Campusano has logged 670 2/3 innings behind the dish. Defensive Runs Saved has him 15 runs below average, the worst mark among catchers. Statcast has graded him harshly for each of his pitch framing, blocking and throwing. Campusano is tied for the fifth-most passed balls (six) and has been behind the plate for 36 wild pitches.

Only Shea Langeliers, Will Smith and Logan O’Hoppe have been behind the plate for more wild pitches — and they’ve all logged upwards of 900 innings. That’s not entirely on Campusano, of course, but it doesn’t reflect especially well on his work blocking pitches in the dirt. Campusano has also thrown out just eight of 49 attempted base stealers, a 16.3% clip that is about five points below league average.

Those struggles have naturally opened up playing time for backup catcher Kyle Higashioka. Acquired from the Yankees as the fifth piece in the Juan Soto blockbuster, Higashioka has had the best season of his career. The veteran has drilled 16 homers in only 228 plate appearances. Despite a .225 average and a dismal .269 on-base mark, the power has made him a productive hitter. Higashioka has a league average caught stealing rate, although he’s also had a rough time as a receiver. He’s tied for the MLB lead with nine passed balls in only 575 2/3 innings.

San Diego had rolled with a Campusano-Higashioka pairing for most of the season. They added 2023 All-Star MVP Elias Díaz late last month after he was released by the Rockies. Díaz will back up Higashioka for the time being. That seems like skipper Mike Shildt’s preferred duo as the Friars try to secure a Wild Card berth.

Higashioka and Díaz are both impending free agents. Aside from Campusano, the only other catcher on the 40-man roster is Brett Sullivan, who projects as a depth player. While the Friars surely hope for top prospect Ethan Salas to eventually seize the position, they can’t count on the 18-year-old for at least a few seasons. That points towards Campusano competing with an outside acquisition — potentially a re-signed Higashioka or Díaz — for the job next year.

The timing of the demotion, presumably not coincidentally, provides the Padres with some flexibility in that regard. Campusano has one minor league option remaining. A player uses an option year when he spends 20 days on an optional assignment during a season. Rehab stints do not count towards that time. There are 19 days left in the regular season, so Campusano will still have an option remaining going into 2025. That means the Padres would be able to keep him in El Paso for another year without exposing him to waivers.

Campusano is on track to reach arbitration for the first time in his career. He entered the season with one year and 144 days of service. He’ll earn a full service year this season despite being sent down. Evan Drellich of the Athletic reported in 2022 that players who are optioned more than three days after Labor Day continue to receive service time during that assignment. That easily positions Campusano to qualify for early arbitration as a Super Two player, although his salary will be modest enough that he shouldn’t be in danger of getting non-tendered. He’s controllable for another four seasons after this one.

As for Lockridge, he gets his first big league opportunity. San Diego added him to the 40-man roster at the start of September but had kept him on optional assignment with El Paso. Acquired from the Yankees at the deadline in the Enyel De Los Santos deal, Lockridge has hit .306/.410/.397 over 402 plate appearances at the top minor league level. The speedster has stolen 46 bases and been thrown out just six times. He’ll likely work as a pinch-runner and defensive specialist in his first MLB action.

NL West Injury Notes: Heyward, Outman, Campusano, Marte

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The Dodgers placed Jason Heyward on the 10-day injured list prior to yesterday’s game, as an MRI revealed that the veteran outfielder is dealing with a left knee bone bruise.  Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times) that no structural damage was found in Heyward’s knee, so the IL stint might not be too lengthy.  This is the second IL visit of the season for Heyward, who already missed about six weeks due to back tightness.  Heyward has hit .203/.299/.398 over 137 plate appearances, which translates to exactly league-average (100 wRC+) offense while almost exclusively facing right-handed pitching, plus Heyward has contributed his usual strong defense as a regular right fielder and part-time center fielder.

James Outman was called up from Triple-A to take Heyward’s spot on the roster and his overall role in the Los Angeles outfield mix.  After finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year voting last season, Outman got off to such a cold start (.516 OPS in 124 PA) that the Dodgers optioned him to Triple-A in mid-May.  With the caveat that the Pacific Coast League is very hitter-friendly, Outman has hit .279/.393/.531 with nine homers in 179 PA with Triple-A Oklahoma City, providing some hope that he has gotten himself back on track.  A resurgent Outman would be a big boost for the Dodgers, and if Outman is productive and Heyward doesn’t miss much time, this internal help might factor into whatever plans the club has about adding outfield help at the deadline.

More health news from around the NL West…

  • The Padres activated catcher Luis Campusano from the 10-day IL prior to yesterday’s game, and optioned infielder Eguy Rosario to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  A left thumb contusion sent Campusano to the IL on June 21, and as expected at the time of the placement, Campusano didn’t miss much beyond the 10-day minimum.  The catcher has hit an underwhelming .234/.282/.371 over 220 PA and defensive metrics have painted a rough picture of his glovework, even though Campusano remains in line for the majority of playing time over Kyle Higashioka.
  • Ketel Marte is day-to-day with back tightness, as the Diamondbacks announced after the second baseman made an early exit from yesterday’s 10-8 loss to the Padres.  Manager Torey Lovullo explained to reporters (including MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert) that Marte has been bothered by his back for a few days, and still played eight innings on Friday before requiring a pinch-hitter in the ninth.  The 43-45 D’Backs can only hope that Marte’s back problem doesn’t continue to linger, as the star second baseman has been a big reason why Arizona continues to linger in the wild card race.  Marte is hitting .284/.353/.506 with 17 home runs over 380 PA, and while fans recognized this performance by voting Marte into the NL’s starting lineup for the All-Star Game, this back problem might also raise concerns that he could miss the Midsummer Classic.

Padres Notes: Campusano, Tatis, Profar

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The Padres placed catcher Luis Campusano on the 10-day injured list today with a thumb contusion, per a team announcement. Catcher Brett Sullivan was recalled to the big league roster in a corresponding move. Fortunately, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune relays that the Padres don’t expect Campusano’s stay on the shelf to be a long one as it likely won’t require more than a minimum stay of ten days.

After a 2023 season where Campusano was limited to just 49 games by injuries but appeared to break out at the plate with a .319/.356/.491 slash line (good for a 134 wRC+), the former top prospect’s 2024 campaign has been somewhat disappointing. He’s appeared in 66 of the club’s games this year but has mustered only a .234/.282/.371 slash line, which even in the game’s current deflated offensive environment is good for a wRC+ of just 89. That’s hardly a terrible mark for a catcher, but it’s nonetheless a far cry from the offensive output San Diego was surely hoping for after Campusano flashed the ability to be a star-level bat behind the plate when healthy enough to take the field last year.

With the 25-year-old sidelined for the time being, veteran backup Kyle Higashioka figures to step in as the club’s regular behind the plate while Campusano heals up. That leaves backup duties to Sullivan, 30, who had a three-game stint with the Padres earlier this year after making his MLB debut with the club last season. In a 33-game cup of coffee with San Diego last year, Sullivan struggled to a .210/.244/.284 slash line in 86 trips to the plate and appeared to be below average defensively behind the plate both in terms of framing and controlling the running game, although he does have a reputation as a solid blocker.

While Campusano was the only player the Padres placed on the shelf today, he’s not the only member of their starting lineup nursing an noteworthy injury. As MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell explored last night, both Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jurickson Profar exited yesterday’s game against the Brewers due to injuries. Profar departed due to tendinitis in his left knee that he’s been dealing with throughout the season to this point, while Tatis left because of a left triceps contusion, though Cassavell notes that he also appeared to be favoring his right quad, which he notes the young star has been playing on despite an injury for weeks.

Both players were out of the lineup today, though Profar told reporters (including Cassavell) today that he would be available off the bench for today’s game against Milwaukee and that he’s been managing the injury successfully to the point where it isn’t getting worse. Manager Mike Shildt, for his part, indicated to reporters last night that the club wasn’t especially concerned about either Profar or Tatis and that both believed they could play through their current ailments.

It’s easy to see why the Padres wouldn’t want to lose either player to the injured list. In 80 games this season, Tatis has looked good with a .279/.354/.468 slash line (139 wRC+) with eight stolen bases, while Profar leads all NL hitters with a .415 on-base percentage and sports an even more impressive 162 wRC+ as the club’s everyday left fielder. With the duo standing out as perhaps the club’s two biggest run producers in a strong lineup that also features Manny Machado, Luis Arraez, and Jackson Merrill, it’s hard to measure how difficult things could get for the Padres if they were to lose Profar and Tatis for a significant period. After all, that strong offense has only translated to a 40-40 record to this point in the season that leaves them in the mix for an NL Wild Card spot among a group of eight teams that are within three games of .500.

Padres Announce Several Roster Moves

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The Padres announced this afternoon that the club has selected the contract of catcher Chandler Seagle. In corresponding moves, catcher Luis Campusano was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right ankle sprain, while right-hander Joe Musgrove was transferred to the 60-day IL to open space on the 40-man roster.

Seagle, 27, was a 30th-round pick by the Padres in the 2017 draft. He’s never hit much throughout his career in the minors, with a career .204/.277/.287 slash line in 287 games as a professional. Still, Seagle has managed to climb through the minor leagues steadily throughout his career thanks to a strong glove behind the plate. That defensive prowess has now earned him his first big league opportunity, where he’ll provide insurance for the Padres behind Brett Sullivan. If Seagle gets into a game before the regular season comes to a close tomorrow, it will be his major league debut.

The opportunity for Seagle comes at the expense of Campusano, whose season has ended prematurely. The 24-year-old backstop dealt with injuries throughout much of the 2023 campaign, with a sprained thumb causing him to miss three months. Since returning from the injured list, however, Campusano has done nothing but hit with a .331/.375/.500 slash line in 152 trips to the plate. The offensive potential Campusano flashed through the season’s final months serves as a reminder of the young catcher’s former top prospect status; he was a consensus top-50 prospect in the sport as recently as the 2022 season. Looking ahead to 2024, Campusano figures to get every opportunity to seize an everyday role as the club’s catcher coming out of Spring Training.

Musgrove’s move to the 60-day IL comes as no surprise and is nothing more than procedural; the right-hander has been out since late July with shoulder inflammation and was announced as shut down for the season earlier this month. Musgrove was limited to just 97 1/3 innings across 17 starts this season due to injuries but was effective as always when healthy, with a 3.05 ERA and 3.52 FIP. Heading into next year, Musgrove figures to again be a front-of-the-rotation piece for the club during his age-31 season.

Gary Sanchez, Ji Man Choi Diagnosed With Fractures

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Padres catcher Gary Sánchez broke his right wrist during this afternoon’s loss to the Phillies, manager Bob Melvin tells reporters (including Annie Heilbrunn and Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune). In other unfortunate news, first baseman Ji Man Choi suffered a Lisfranc fracture when he fouled a ball off his right foot during a rehab game with Triple-A El Paso last night.

Sánchez was hit by a 98 MPH fastball from Philadelphia reliever Jeff Hoffman. The pitch ran inside and caught Sánchez’s back wrist when he checked his swing. He was replaced by Luis Campusano.

It’ll bring an unfortunate end to what had been a solid rebound season. The veteran backstop didn’t find a big league opportunity until mid-May. He’d bounced from the Giants to the Mets on minor league deals and earned a very brief look in Queens. The Mets waived Sánchez after three games, with San Diego claiming him to hopefully solidify their catching situation.

The 30-year-old has performed better than the Friars had likely anticipated. Sánchez slugged 19 home runs in only 267 plate appearances. Even with a meager .288 on-base percentage, the power production made him an above-average hitter. That’s particularly true in comparison to the glove-first position. Catchers entered play Wednesday with a .237/.304/.395 slash.

While Sánchez has been maligned for his glove throughout his career, public metrics rated him as a solid defender this season. He received slightly better than average grades from Statcast for his blocking and pitch framing. His 21.2% caught stealing rate is a little north of this year’s 20% league average.

That all positioned Sánchez nicely in a weak upcoming free agent class. He’s headed back to the open market in a couple months, arguably headlining a group that also includes Mitch Garver, Víctor Caratini and Tom Murphy. That could still be the case, but he’ll now unfortunately go into the winter with some injury uncertainty.

The Friars will turn to Campusano and Brett Sullivan as the catching tandem down the stretch. With that duo already on the MLB roster, they don’t need to call on another catcher as the corresponding move once Sánchez inevitably lands on the injured list. Campusano is hitting .309/.347/.491 in 35 games this season. The 24-year-old will look to stake a claim to the #1 job headed into 2024.

Like Sánchez, Choi will also go into free agency after a major injury. The left-handed hitting first baseman has had an injury-wrecked ’23 campaign. Choi lost most of the season’s first half with a strain in his left Achilles tendon. He returned to the Pirates in the middle of July, in time for Pittsburgh to send him to San Diego alongside Rich Hill in a deadline deal.

Choi only got into seven games for the Friars. He suffered a rib strain a month ago. The foot injury suffered on his rehab stint will end his season and, quite likely, his San Diego tenure. He’ll hit free agency for the first time coming off an almost entirely lost year, in which he hit .179/.239/.440 in 92 big league plate appearances.

Padres Designate Rougned Odor For Assignment, Option Austin Nola

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The Padres announced a broad-reaching slate of roster moves Tuesday, most notably designating infielder/outfielder Rougned Odor for assignment and optioning catcher Austin Nola to Triple-A El Paso. San Diego also optioned utilityman Brandon Dixon to El Paso.

That trio of moves creates space for the team to reinstate catcher Luis Campusano from the 60-day injured list, select the contract of outfielder Taylor Kohlwey and recall infielder Alfonso Rivas from Triple-A. The Padres also announced that righty Reiss Knehr has been transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL. He’s been on the shelf with elbow discomfort since late June and will now be sidelined until at least late August.

It’s a notable shakeup for a struggling Padres club that has gotten negligible production from the bench and from its catching position this season. Odor, who’ll be traded or released within a week’s time (he can reject an outright assignment), has batted just .210/.306/.370 in 157 trips to the plate this season. Nola (.146/.260/.192 in 154 plate appearances) and Dixon (.204/.244/.329 in 86 plate appearances) have been even less productive. They’ll both remain in the organization in Triple-A, at least for the time being.

The Padres were Odor’s fourth team in as many years. He hasn’t had an above-average season at the plate since 2016 but has continually gotten looks around the league thanks to his glove and considerable left-handed pop. He’s been with the Rangers, Yankees and Orioles in the past three seasons, respectively, and cracked the Padres’ Opening Day roster in 2023 despite a combined .199/.269/.374 showing from 2020-22. In doing so, he continued the long line of former Rangers who’ve made cameos with the Padres under president of baseball operations AJ Preller — a longtime assistant GM in Texas (e.g. Ian Kinsler, Keone Kela, Mitch Moreland, Nelson Cruz, Nomar Mazara, Jurickson Profar, Yu Darvish, Nick Martinez, Carl Edwards Jr.).

Nola, 33, has been San Diego’s primary catcher in recent seasons after coming over from the Mariners in what’s become a lopsided deal for Seattle. San Diego acquired Nola, Austin Adams and Dan Altavilla in exchange for infielder Ty France, reliever Andres Munoz, outfielder Taylor Trammell and catcher Luis Torrens. France has since settled in as the Mariners’ primary first baseman and made the All-Star team in 2022. Munoz has stepped up as Seattle’s closer.

While Nola had been enjoying a breakout with the Mariners in 2019-20 and was solid in his first season-plus with San Diego, his bat has since cratered. Dating back to Opening Day 2022, he’s a .222/.304/.291 hitter (75 wRC+) in exactly 162 games and 551 plate appearances. His once-strong framing ratings have also deteriorated, and Nola has thwarted just 16.8% of stolen base attempts over the past two seasons.

With Nola now in El Paso, the Padres will rely on Campusano and Gary Sanchez behind the plate. Sanchez started hot after signing in San Diego, clubbing five dingers in his first 50 plate appearances. However, he’s since gone ice cold at the dish, batting just .150/.253/.250 in his past 91 turns at the plate.

That could open the door for Campusano to at last get a legitimate look behind the plate. The longtime top prospect has appeared in each MLB season since 2020 but has only 114 career plate appearances to his name. He’s mustered only a .198/.237/.302 output in that time, but Campusano is a career .297/.366/.513 hitter in 702 Triple-A plate appearances and has outstanding batted-ball metrics in his limited MLB work. Despite the pedestrian bottom-line results, Campusano has an average exit velocity of 90.6 mph and a massive 48.7% hard-hit rate, per Statcast. Opponents have gone 16-for-16 against him in stolen bases at the MLB level, but Campusano has a 25% caught-stealing rate in the minors.

Also joining the Padres’ roster will be Kohlwey, who’ll be in line for his MLB debut just two days prior to his 29th birthday. A 21st-round pick out of the University of Wisconsin La Crosse back in 2016, Kohlwey has experience at all three outfield spots and is batting .261/.377/.437 with nine homers, 16 doubles, a pair of triples, 10 steals and nearly as many walks (50) as strikeouts (51) in 328 trips to the batter’s box.

Rivas, 26, signed with the Padres over the winter after spending the past two seasons with the Cubs. He’s gone 2-for-7 with a double in his limited sample with the Friars so far this year and is a career .248/.332/.325 hitter in 344 MLB plate appearances. Rivas boasts a colossal .332/.462/.582 slash in Triple-A this season and carries a lifetime .313/.424/.492 line in 150 games at that level.

NL West Notes: Grichuk, Yankees, Campusano, Morejon, Gonzalez, Rodgers, Kinley

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As the Yankees look for outfield help, Randal Grichuk is a “name that has come up” in the team’s explorations, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter).  Now in his second season with the Rockies, Grichuk missed most of April recovering from offseason sports hernia surgery, but has since hit .300/.364/.473 (112 wRC+) over 225 plate appearances.  Grichuk is a free agent after the season and would be a pure rental for New York, and he is owed roughly $3.89MM for the remainder of the 2023 campaign.  The exact of who owes Grichuk that money isn’t exactly known, as the Blue Jays were paying $4.333MM of the total $9.333MM owed to Grichuk this year, so the Rockies’ 2023 financial obligation (and thus the obligation for any trade suitor) may technically be done, depending on how Grichuk’s salary was divvied up.

Regardless, Grichuk would still count as a relatively inexpensive acquisition for the Yankees.  Grichuk can play at least passable defense at all three outfield positions, making him a usefully flexible option for New York both before and after Aaron Judge returns from the injured list.  While his splits indicate a lot more success at Coors Field than at away ballparks this season, Grichuk does at least have a solid track record of success at Yankee Stadium, with a .279/.333/.532 slash line and seven home runs over 120 career PA in the Bronx.  The struggling Rockies are reportedly open to moving pending free agents like Grichuk, though there’s a slight question mark about his health, as Grichuk has missed Colorado’s last couple of games due to groin tightness.

Here’s more from around the NL West…

  • Padres catcher Luis Campusano has missed most of the 2023 campaign after undergoing thumb surgery in early May, leaving the club to rely on the struggling Austin Nola and in-season signing Gary Sanchez behind the plate.  Fortunately, Campusano appears to be nearing a return as Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune write that the backstop is in “the final stages” of his Triple-A rehab assignment, and is expected to rejoin the club during their current road trip (which runs through July 23).  According to Acee, Campusano’s return will result in a timeshare with Sanchez, though the playing time specifics are expected to be “merit-based.”  Sanchez has hit .197/.279/.426 (94 wRC+) in 136 plate appearances with the Padres while Campusano posted a .238/.227/.429 (70 wRC+) slash line prior to his trip to the IL, albeit in just 22 trips to the plate.
  • Sticking with the Padres, the club announced today that left-hander Adrian Morejon was placed on the 15-day injured list due to right knee inflammation.  It’s been a difficult road for Morejon, who has pitched just 47 2/3 innings since the start of the 2021 campaign due to a Tommy John surgery, and then an elbow sprain that sent him to the 60-day IL at the start of this season.  Morejon will be replaced on the active roster by right-hander Matt Waldron, who sports a 3.86 ERA in 4 2/3 innings of work with the Padres this season.
  • Luis Gonzalez underwent back surgery in March, but Giants manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle) today that the outfielder is set to begin a rehab assignment.  It will take a while for Gonzalez to ramp up after the long layoff, but his recovery should line up with the August timeline recently mentioned by Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.  Gonzalez was a solid contributor to the 2022 club, hitting .254/.323/.360 over 350 PA in his rookie season.
  • Bookending the post with some more Rockies news, Brendan Rodgers and Tyler Kinley will start rehab assignments with the Rockies’ high-A affiliate on Monday, according to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post (Twitter link).  Neither player has seen any action this season, as Rodgers underwent shoulder surgery during Spring Training and Kinley is recovering from an elbow surgery a little over a year ago.
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