Padres Targeting 3 Outfielders at Trade Deadline, Including 2 From NL West Rival

The San Diego Padres enter their four-game series against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday bringing up the bottom of all National League offenses in a precarious stat.

Their left-handed hitters have combined to produce an NL-worst .362 slugging percentage. Their collective weighted on-base average is .299, one-thousandth of a point higher than the Cleveland Guardians and Boston Red Sox for the worst in MLB.

The Padres' offense has finally rounded into form this month. Just ahead of Monday's trade deadline, the team is riding a five-game winning streak going into its four-game home series against the floundering Giants.

But the dearth of intimidating left-handed bats remains a glaring deficiency in manager Craig Stammen's lineup.

It also presents an obvious opportunity for AJ Preller to do what he does best: find useful major league players almost out of nowhere.

According to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, Preller "would like to acquire a left-handed bat, preferably in left field."

Citing unnamed team sources, Lin goes on to identify three targets:

1. Mickey Moniak, Colorado Rockies

Moniak is from the San Diego area. A former No. 1 overall draft pick in 2016 by the Philadelphia Phillies, Moniak didn't come into his own as a hitter until he was traded out of Philadelphia.

OPS+, which adjusts for the park environment in which the hitter performs, has rated Moniak at least 14% above average in two of the past three seasons.

This year. he's on pace for a career-high 126 OPS+ (26% above average). Most of that comes from a .561 slugging percentage; Moniak still doesn't walk much. But he would address the Padres' biggest need.

2. Jake McCarthy, Colorado Rockies

McCarthy has spent his entire six-year MLB career in the National League West, beginning with the Arizona Diamondbacks (2021-25) before he was traded to the Rockies in January.

Like Moniak, McCarthy is using the vast Coors Field outfield to his advantage, racing out to a career-high 10 home runs in his first 94 games of the season. Unlike Moniak, McCarthy is no worse than competent at all three outfield positions with his glove.

3. Isaac Collins, Kansas City Royals

Collins, 29, is a late bloomer like Moniak who didn't debut until he was 27. Last year, he finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting with the Milwaukee Brewers, slashing .263/.368/.411.

While his power has fallen off in the pitcher-friendly Kaufmann Stadium (.365 slugging percentage), he remains an on-base threat who can steal once he reaches base.

Collins isn't eligible for arbitration until after the 2028 season, and has three option years remaining. Although his bat is not as powerful, Collins would give Preller more flexibility with the roster and payroll than either Moniak or McCarthy.

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