Padres Urged To Pursue Trade For $4.5 Million Veteran Catcher
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The San Diego Padres have a very talented roster, but they're still a tick behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.
However, the Padres could look to close the gap a bit on the Dodgers by swinging a trade to upgrade their catcher in the coming weeks. Padres catchers have been a net negative to the team at this point.
Cameron Zunkel of Clutch Points recently urged the Padres to pursue a trade for Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers before the trade deadline.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JUNE 22: Ryan Jeffers #27 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth inning of the game at Target Field on June...
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JUNE 22: Ryan Jeffers #27 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth inning of the game at Target Field on June 22, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. More"That is where Ryan Jeffers comes into play. Jeffers is a free agent after the 2026 season, and he is 28 years old," Zunkel wrote. "Along with that, Minnesota has a few catchers in their top prospect list that will be ready for the MLB in the next year or two.
"On the season, Jeffers is slashing .248/.346/.402 with six home runs, 29 RBI, and just 47 strikeouts to 28 walks in 63 games played. The right-handed batter would be better than both the catchers San Diego is putting out there daily. His defense is just average, but his bat makes up for it. He might take a few prospects to acquire, but the Padres would be smart to pursue Ryan Jeffers. Doing so would make San Diego a World Series contender."
A trade for Jeffers would likely be quite affordable, as the middle tier of catchers never seems to net a huge return on the trade market.
Jeffers would be a significant upgrade over what the Padres have at the position right now. San Diego would transition from a negative-WAR catcher to somebody who could post 2.0 or 3.0 WAR across a solid season. It's a no-brainer.
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