SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres made several bold moves at yet another trade deadline Thursday, adding hard-throwing closer Mason Miller from the Athletics and All-Star first baseman Ryan O'Hearn from Baltimore while swinging five total deals for seven major league players.
San Diego general manager AJ Preller picked up Miller and left-hander JP Sears while shipping four solid prospects to the A's. The Padres then got catcher Freddy Fermin from Kansas City before acquiring O'Hearn and outfielder
Ramón Laureano from the Orioles. San Diego also added left-hander Nestor Cortés from Milwaukee and utility infielder Will Wagner from Toronto.
Preller was his usual voracious self at the deadline, sending out 14 players and acquiring eight.
He traded a big chunk of his thin farm system’s best talent — headlined by shortstop Leo De Vries, one of the top prospects in baseball — to acquire Miller, one of the majors’ most dynamic relievers, and the dependable Sears. Preller then gave up major league starting pitchers Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek for Fermin in a bid to raise the Padres’ meager offensive production at catcher.
The Padres shipped six prospects — headlined by 6-foot-8 left-handed pitcher Boston Bateman — to Baltimore for O'Hearn and Laureano, two proven major league hitters who should boost the Padres' inconsistent offense.
San Diego sent reserve outfielder Brandon Lockridge to the Brewers for Cortés, a 2022 All-Star with the Yankees who is thought to be ready to return to the majors after missing nearly four months with an elbow injury.
The Padres entered Thursday in the National League’s final wild-card spot at 60-49 after sweeping the New York Mets on Wednesday for their fifth consecutive win overall. San Diego trails the defending World Series champion Dodgers (63-46) by just three games in the NL West, and Preller clearly believes his veteran core has World Series potential.
That belief is also underlined by what Preller didn't do.
The Padres kept All-Star closer Robert Suárez, who leads the majors with 30 saves, and inconsistent starter Dylan Cease. Both Suárez and Cease can reach free agency this winter, but Preller declined to deal them in moves that almost certainly would have hurt the current team's playoff prospects.
Preller's flashiest move was for the 26-year-old Miller, whose fastball averages 101 mph. He has 20 saves in 23 opportunities, a 3.76 ERA and 59 strikeouts for the A’s this season. Miller was an All-Star in 2024, and he is under team control through the 2029 season.
The Padres already had one of the majors’ best bullpens anchored by three All-Stars: Suárez, setup man Jason Adam and Adrián Morejón. San Diego also gave up an impressive package of prospects to get Miller, sending 18-year-old wunderkind De Vries and right-handed pitchers Henry Báez, Braden Nett and Eduarniel Nuñez to the A’s.
De Vries is ranked the No. 3 prospect in the sport by MLB.com, and he was the jewel of a San Diego farm system depleted by years of Preller’s aggressive dealing.
The Padres also needed bats, and O’Hearn is having the best year of his career for the disappointing Orioles, hitting .283 with 13 homers and 43 RBIs while earning his first All-Star selection as an AL starter.
His stellar work against right-handed pitching could boost the Padres, who rank 23rd in the majors in runs despite their star-studded lineup headlined by Manny Machado and Fernando Tatís Jr.
Although Luis Arráez is the Padres’ everyday first baseman, O’Hearn — who will be a free agent this winter — should ease the Padres’ woes at designated hitter, where they’ve also received substandard production.
Laureano, who has a $6.5 million team option for 2026, has split time between right field and left field this season while batting .290 with 15 homers and 46 RBIs. The Padres likely will use him in left, where Gavin Sheets and Bryce Johnson have been unable to produce standout numbers. O'Hearn also can play the outfield.
The Padres have lacked offensive production behind the plate all season long, with Elías Díaz and Martín Maldonado combining to be one of the least potent catching duos in the majors. Preller didn’t hesitate to give up two promising pitchers to land Fermin, who should also be a defensive upgrade behind the plate.
Fermin evolved into a capable hitter and a reliable game manager in four seasons with the Royals, but with captain and stalwart Salvador Perez and Luke Maile already on the 26-man roster — and with the Royals’ two top prospects, Blake Mitchell and Carter Jensen, also being catchers — the club decided Fermin was expendable.
Meanwhile, the Royals were desperate for pitching help with starters Cole Ragans, Kris Bubic and Michael Lorenzen on the injured list. Bergert and Kolek are both capable of moving immediately into the rotation.
The 25-year-old rookie Bergert has made seven starts for San Diego in the past two months, and while he hasn’t pitched six full innings in any outing, he is 1-0 with a 2.78 ERA in 11 total appearances.
Kolek, a reliever as a 27-year-old rookie last season, has been in the Padres’ rotation since making his first major league start in May, going 4-5 with a 4.18 ERA.
The 30-year-old Fermin is under team control through 2029, making the high price more doable for Preller.
Miller began his major league career as a starter in 2023 but moved to the bullpen after he strained his elbow ligament during his rookie season with the A’s. He could be a candidate to join the Padres’ rotation in future seasons, given San Diego's four additional years of team control.
Cortés was part of the Brewers' return for trading closer Devin Williams to the Yankees, but he made only two starts for Milwaukee before getting hurt. Cortés made his final scheduled minor league rehab appearance a few days ago. San Diego also got minor-league shortstop Jorge Quintana.
Wagner, the son of Hall of Fame closer Billy Wagner, is batting .237 over 40 appearances this season for Toronto. San Diego gave up catcher Brandon Valenzuela.
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