Padres Trying to Acquire World Series Champion Catcher in Blockbuster Trade: Report

Sep 18, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Minnesota Twins catcher Christian Vazquez (8) looks back to the umpire in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres and Minnesota Twins have recently had dialogue surrounding a trade for catcher Christian Vazquez, Dan Hayes and Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported Wednesday night.

While no trade is imminent, both teams appear motivated to strike a deal involving Vazquez, a two-time World Series champion catcher.

More news: Padres Catcher Announces Sudden Retirement, Will Join Coaching Staff

The Padres have a major need for a catcher after Kyle Higashioka joined the Texas Rangers in free agency. As of now, the only catchers on San Diego's roster are Luis Campusano and Brett Sullivan. Vazquez would join San Diego and likely become the instant starter moving forward.

According to The Athletic's report, the Twins are among the teams interested in right-handed pitcher Dylan Cease.

While Cease has been in trade rumors all offseason long, the Padres are reportedly unlikely to move him unless they get a substantial haul in return. On the flip side, though, Cease has an expiring contract, meaning a team is unlikely to deplete their farm system to acquire him.

Vazquez, too, has an expiring contract in 2025 valued at $10 million. The Padres don't want to take on the entire contract, according to The Athletic, but how much they take on has reportedly been a sticking point in talks between the two teams.

Vazquez, 34, is coming off a 2024 season with the Twins in which he slashed .221/.248/.327 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs. Across his 10-year career, he has a slash line of .253/.301/.373 with 68 home runs and 335 RBIs.

Vazquez would be an upgrade over Campusano, who hit .227/.281/.361 last season and was among the worst defensive catchers in the entire league.

The Padres are yet to make a major league addition this offseason via free agency or trade. They've made a handful of minor league signings, and most notably lost the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes to the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers.

Read more: Padres Ownership Turmoil May Have Pushed Roki Sasaki to Sign With Dodgers

The Padres are looking to shed payroll while also filling multiple gaps in the roster heading into next season. One of those is catcher, and if the Twins take on a solid amount of the contract, Vazquez would be a great one-year option for San Diego as they await Ethan Salas' eventual debut.