The San Diego Padres' offense finally feels like it's picking up steam. The team has scored nine runs over the past two games. Before that, the offense had only mustered over two runs in one of the previous eight matchups. It was a tough watch, to say the least.
Even with the offense showing signs of turning around, it's clear that the current lineup is not good enough for the Padres to be World Series contenders. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune recently reported that "the Padres have begun exploring the trade market for a left fielder."
This shouldn't come as any surprise to Padres' fans who have watched Jason Heyward, Brandon Lockridge, and others in left this season. Heyward has been the primary left fielder and holds a 39 wRC+, while Lockridge's 51 wRC+ is not much of an improvement. Both players have drastically struggled at the plate thus far. The bottom line is that the Padres must make an upgrade at the position.
So, who are the trade candidates to improve this Padres' lineup?
The Orioles' outfielder makes the most sense for the Padres. The 31-year-old is having a career year, as he is hitting .340 with eight home runs and a .968 OPS. On top of that, his advanced numbers are excellent, and he grades out as an average fielder.
The Orioles are the second-worst team in the AL and are expected to be sellers at the deadline. O'Hearn will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, making it all but guaranteed that he'll be moved before this deadline. He looks to be the best corner outfield rental piece available and would be a massive boost to the Padres' lineup.
The Padres were able to take a look at Sánchez's talent Monday night, when he went 2-4 with a home run at Petco Park. While Sánchez hasn't played up to his typical standards this season, he's getting hot with an OPS over 1.000 and two home runs over his past seven games. The outfielder's expected OPS was over .800 in both 2023 and 2024, per Baseball Savant. Sánchez won't be a free agent until after the 2027 season. The price to obtain him may be significant, but he would step in and be an immediate upgrade.
Ward also figures to draw plenty of interest this trade deadline. He will be a free agent after the 2026 season, but with a lack of outfield options, the Angels may capitalize on trading him now. Ward is a solid hitter, as shown by his career .760 OPS. This season, he's barrelling the baseball in the 94th percentile and holds over a .500 SLG. Many teams, including the Padres, would love to add his power to the heart of their order.
The Padres are in a spot where they need to make a move soon. Whether that's trading for a corner outfielder within a couple of weeks or calling up a minor leaguer, something needs to be done to improve left field. If they don't make a trade within a week or two, Tirso Ornelas should get another crack in the MLB. In a brief stint earlier this season, he recorded just one hit over 14 at-bats. If Ornelas continues to struggle in his next call-up, the Padres will have to swing a trade. They desperately need production in left field, and the lack of it is costing them wins.
With the team in a tight playoff race, it's important to capitalize early in the season. Last season, the Padres tetered around .500 for the first half of the year, before finishing the regular season as the hottest team in the NL. If they had performed better early on, they could have won the NL West, which would have been hugely beneficial come playoff time. This year, they need to fix their issues now, rather than wait to do patchwork at the trade deadline.