Padres Connected to 36-Homer Slugger Expected to Be Traded Ahead of Deadline

As we get closer to the Aug. 3 trade deadline this summer, the San Diego Padres are one of the teams to watch closely around the league.

San Diego is typically an organization that is willing to take risks at the trade deadline, with the team making multiple big-time trades in recent years. With A.J. Preller still running the show, the Padres can never be counted out of making a blockbuster trade.

The priorities for the Padres this season are adding more offense to the roster while also addressing the starting rotation. But we could see Preller try to focus more on bringing in offensive production since the team may get an influx of arms from the injured list soon.

The Padres entered Sunday's game ranked last in MLB in team batting average (.221) and OPS (.663), while coming in second-to-last in slugging percentage (.366). For a team that has World Series aspirations, this isn't going to get the job done — and the trade deadline gives Preller a chance to change things up.

One name that could make sense for the Padres is veteran outfielder Taylor Ward of the Baltimore Orioles. Ward was recently mentioned as a possible landing spot for San Diego by MLB insiders Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan of ESPN.

McDaniel and Passan gave Ward a 75% chance of being traded ahead of the deadline.

Case for Taylor Ward

Ward is having a solid year in his first season with the Orioles, but is seeing a bit of a decline from his breakout 2025 season. Overall, the veteran is hitting .256 with five home runs and 22 runs batted in, while posting an OPS of .749.

Last season with the Los Angeles Angels, Ward hit .228 with 36 home runs and 103 runs batted in, while putting up an OPS of .749. The power numbers have declined a little, but his advanced numbers still look strong.

Ward comes in ranked in the 74th percentile of xwOBA, while being ranked in the 100th percentile of chase percentage, showing elite plate discipline. This is the type of player that the Padres could use, and Ward has proven to help spark an offense in the past.

The veteran outfielder is set to be a free agent at the end of the season as well, so there would be no long-term commitment for the Padres.

Adding Ward to the mix could give the Padres some extra pop at the plate while lengthening the lineup. Due to his contract and somewhat down year, the cost for Ward may not be too high, and the Padres should jump at the chance to add him to the mix.

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