The San Diego Padres are going for it.
General manager AJ Preller has acquired first baseman/right fielder/DH Ryan O’Hearn and outfielder/DH Ramón Laureano from the Baltimore Orioles reportedly in exchange for LHP Boston Bateman, infielder Brandon Butterworth, infielder Cobb Hightower, reliever Tyson Neighbors, infielder Victor Figueroa and reliever Tanner Smith.
O’Hearn, 32 years old, is a short-term rental and is a free agent at the end of this season. He is currently hitting .283 with an .837 OPS
and is a left handed hitter. This adds another lefty to the lineup who profiles similarly to Gavin Sheets but has a better average.
Laureano is on a deal that carries through 2026 and he will be a free agent in 2027. Laureano, 31 years old, is a right-handed hitting outfielder who has played all three outfield spots for the Orioles and also has been a DH. He is currently hitting .290 with 15 homers and 46 RBI for Baltimore. These two hitters add more power to the order and give the Padres a legitimate outfielder as well as a first baseman, and either can DH.
The Padres give up six of their prospects to the Orioles for a short-term rental and a player they can control through next season.
In another trade announced as the particulars of this trade were being released, the Padres trade minor league catcher Brandon Valenzuela to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for left-handed hitting infielder Will Wagner. Wagner will add to the bench depth while Valenzuela became expendable with the addition of catcher Freddy Fermin.
Wagner, 27 years old, plays all infield positions except shortstop. He is currently hitting .237 with 7 RBI for the Blue Jays. He made his major league debut this season and is controllable through the 2030 season.
All of their deals so far have added salary to the roster with a minimal amount of salary reduction. If the rumors are true that Preller needs to delete some payroll, then another move is coming that will shed payroll.
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