Padres Urged to Sign All-Star Catcher in Free Agency

The San Diego Padres are wrapping up what appears to be one of the worst offseasons in baseball. But, there is still time to make a big move that will strengthen their roster heading into 2025.

Earlier in the offseason, the Padres’ primary needs were identified as a starting pitcher, catcher, and corner outfield bat.

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As far as starting pitching, the Padres were confident they would come out on top of the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes. San Diego was named a top three finalist in the race for the the Japanese phenom, along with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays.

Sasaki’s friendship with Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish plus a viral video of Sasaki training at Petco Park just days before announcing his decision had Padres fans convinced he would sign with San Diego. But, the 23-year-old opted to sign with the Dodgers instead.

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There was hope that San Diego would re-sign free agent outfielder Jurickson Profar, who ranked fourth in the National League with a .380 on-base percentage. However, the 2024 NL All-Star and Silver Slugger signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Atlanta Braves on Thursday.

San Diego also lost catcher Kyle Higashioka to free agency this offseason. He signed a two-year, $13.5 million contract with the Texas Rangers on Dec. 2.

The Padres were able to get some help at catcher by signing Martin Maldonado to a non-roster contract. However, his .119 average and .403 OPS with the Chicago White Sox last season doesn't bode well for his chances of making the big league roster.

Bleacher Report’s Paul Kasabian named free agent All-Star catcher James McCann as an alternative target for the Padres. He slashed. 234/.279/.388 and made 65 appearances at catcher with the Baltimore Orioles in 2024.

However, MLB insider Robert Murray said in December that McCann might be out of San Diego’s budget.

To combat their low spending budget, the Padres are reportedly considering trade options. Starting pitcher Dylan Cease, first basemen Jake Cronenworth, and winner of the 2024 NL batting title Luis Arraez are among players San Diego could trade.

As of now, the Padres have Luis Campusano and Brett Sullivan listed as their catching options on their MLB depth chart. Campusano made a team-leading 86 appearances at catcher last season and will likely be the Padres' first choice for the position if they do not add another backstop to the roster.