Surprise Padres Player Suddenly at Risk of Losing Starting Job

One of the biggest question marks for the San Diego Padres this spring was who their starting catcher would be and what the position depth would look like for the 2026 season.

President of baseball operations A.J. Preller orchestrated a trade with the Kansas City Royals last summer in order to acquire Freddy Fermin.

Fermin was an immediate upgrade from veteran backstops Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado. He hit .244 with two home runs, 14 runs batted in and an OPS of .617 across 42 games with the Padres in 2025.

In camp this year, the former backup catcher for the Royals earned the first starting job of his career this spring. Luis Campusano, the longtime Padres top prospect, was named his backup.

The 2026 season hasn't told the same tale of Fermin's success.

The 31-year-old is batting .149 with zero home runs, three runs batted in and an OPS of .435. His stat line is far different from when he first arrived in San Diego last summer, which leaves the Padres in a bit of a tough position.

San Diego may have found a suitable alternative in 28-year-old rookie catcher Rodolfo Durán. While he is only batting .133, his defense has been superb.

On Friday night, Durán proved just that by helping veteran pitcher Walker Buehler navigate traffic on the bases. He caught Henry Bolte trying to steal a base, which has been a reoccurring feat for the rookie. He's also 7-for-7 on overturning ABS challenges.

“I just have confidence in all the work I put in before the game,” Durán said. “Everything, it’s showing up in the games.”

Durán's strong performance is good news for the Padres, who now have a player that is hungry to make an impact given the decade he spent in the minors patiently waiting his turn. It appears the rookie won't squander the chance he's been granted.

The trouble is when Campusano returns from injury, the Padres likely won't keep three catchers on the roster.

So is Fermin the odd man out?

Prior to landing on the injured list, Campusano was batting .288 with three home runs, 10 RBIs and a .958 OPS. The 27-year-old has performed the best out of the trio and would likely slot into the starting role once he returns.

Fermin has options meaning the Padres could place him in the minors in order to regroup. Regardless, it's evident Fermin could be out of a starting job if Campusano or Durán continue to perform well down the stretch.

The Padres need the very best players on their active 26-man roster in the postseason and they can't afford to have any slumping hitters if San Diego hopes to play deep into October. As of now, Fermin is a liability for the Padres.

Campusano could very well claim the starting spot once he returns given his strong performance at the plate this season. Durán is hungry and the Friars could use that mindset as the season progresses.

Maybe a reset for Fermin could be exacly what he needs to get back on track.

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