Padres May Have Major Problem Amid Luis Campusano's Struggles

The San Diego Padres may have a major problem amid Luis Campusano's struggles this spring as he is the team's only option as the backup catcher.

The Padres will have Freddy Fermin as their primary catcher in 2026. He was acquired last summer at the trade deadline from the Kansas City Royals.

The Padres dealt right-handed pitchers Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek in exchange for Fermin, who is set to be the team's starting catcher this season.

The arrival of Fermin last season was an immediate upgrade for the Padres, who had Martin Maldonado and Elias Diaz splitting time in 2025.

Fermin slashed .244/.278/.339 in 42 games with the Padres last season. Now, he'll take on his first full-time starting role in 2026 with Campusano set to stand behind him on the depth chart.

Campusano is hitting .188 with eight strikeouts and an OPS of .528 in Cactus League play. While his skills behind the plate bring question marks, too, Campusano's ongoing struggles as a hitter have limited his time in the big leagues.

In 2025, Campusano did not record a hit across 21 big league at-bats. His numbers in the minors tell a different story, however, as at Triple-A, Campusano hit .336 with 25 home runs, 95 runs batted in and an OPS of 1.036.

Manager Craig Stammen remains confident in the 27-year-old, despite his struggles at the plate in camp.

“What we’re most concerned about with Campy is what he’s doing behind the plate and he’s done really well behind the plate,” Stammen said. “ … There’s always competition for everything. Every time you take an at-bat, every time you step behind the dish, anytime you’re on base, you’re competing. With Campy, we’re very satisfied with who he is and what he’s done this spring with our pitching staff and he’s got a pretty strong hold on that second spot.”

This is an important point in Campusano's career as he has the opportunity at maintaining a permanent roster spot at the big league level in 2026. As for the Padres, they're hoping this is finally the year the former top prospect puts things together.

“I think literally, like the full organization, this whole building, is rooting for Campy,” pitching coach Ruben Niebla said. “We need Campy to be good.”

The Padres could decide to find an external option if Campusano continues to struggle.

If the Padres do make a trade in the next few days before Opening Day, it would likely be for either a starting pitcher or backup catcher. There's no guarantee that will happen, though.

The Friars face some difficulty in swinging a trade given their farm system is depleted following last year's moves at the trade deadline, but it would be a mistake to doubt president of baseball operations A.J. Preller's ability to mastermind a deal.

Regardless, the entire Padres organization is vouching for Campusano as he gets his best opportunity to maintain an everyday spot on the big league roster this season.

It's now or never for the 27-year-old.