The San Diego Padres are one of the oddball teams headed into the final days before the trade deadline. They have several needs, a big one being an outfielder, and they’ve been rumored to be in on several of them, but nothing has materialized since. With A.J. Preller being the president of baseball operations, there is no telling what the Padres may do before July 31st.
However, sitting six games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West, and in a tight NL Wild Card race, the front office is expected to make a couple of big splashes. For the Baltimore Orioles, they are certified sellers and have already begun that process, so it will just be a matter of who wins the bidding war on some of their trade chips.
Padres Interested in Outfielder Ramón Laureano
It has been reported over the last few days that the San Diego Padres have been linked to several outfielders. The new name is Ramón Laureano from the Baltimore Orioles, who is putting together an impressive 2025 campaign thus far. In 76 games this season, Laureno is batting .273, adding 14 home runs, and is slugging .512. He has played all over the outfield, but the Padres are specifically shopping for the left field position.
Darragh McDonald of MLBtraderumors.com gave some insight on why Laureano is a good trade piece:
“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. Theyâre not going to move controllable core pieces but general manager Mike Elias has admitted they will be looking to move guys who are âcoming towards the end of their contracts. That should include Laureano, though heâs not strictly a rental. His one-year deal contains a club option for 2026. The Oâs could keep him but heâs not a foundational piece for them, so they should be open to offers.”
Laureano spent the bulk of his career with the Athletics and was known as a defense-first type of player, but lately, his power stroke has emerged. In 67 games with the Atlanta Braves last season, he slugged .505. Of his 66 hits this season, 30 have gone for extra bases.
Laureano Wouldnât Cost the Padres a Lot
As McDonald outlined, Laureano has a club option for next season, and it’s unclear if the Baltimore Orioles would want to pick that up. This gives the San Diego Padres the option to take a flyer on Laureano, who is in the middle of one of his best offensive seasons.
It would likely cost the Padres a top-10 or so prospect, and they wouldn’t be giving up any MLB-level players. If other deals for San Diego, like Jarren Duran or Steven Kwan, don’t work out, Laureano would be a good addition and certainly an upgrade in left field defensively for the Padres.
With just a few days left until the deadline, expect Preller and the Padres’ front office to make big splashes, as they prepare for the final two months of the season.
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