4 Padres’ early trade targets to help San Diego upset Dodgers in NL West

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4 Padres’ early trade targets to help San Diego upset Dodgers in NL West

Chris Spiering, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Wed, Jun 3, 2026 ·

5 min read

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It's clear that the San Diego Padres ' offense needs to improve. General manager AJ Preller has done a great job of building a winning team since 2020, but some of those same players are not contributing at the level that they have before, and with the money that they are earning, a problem has arisen.

The good news is that new ownership is settling in, and the Padres front office could remain very active when it comes to trades. Last season, Preller went out and traded for Mason Miller , Ramon Laureano , and Ryan O'Hearn. The team will likely be active again this year, especially if they are contending for the postseason.

There will be a lot of names moved at the deadline. Because the Padres have a deep roster with some expensive talent, they are limited in positions that they could trade for. You can't just replace Manny Machado , Fernando Tatis Jr. , Xander Bogaerts , and Jackson Merrill . The Padres did begin to repair things by DFA'ing Nick Castellanos on Wednesday .

The Padres contain a deep bullpen, but reports have surfaced that they will be looking for another bullpen arm to work with Miller, Adrian Morejon, and Jason Adam . Whether that is bringing back former Padre Josh Hader , Aroldis Chapman , or another arm, San Diego is going to have a good bullpen that will be the strength of the team. San Diego is also rumored to be involved in the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes , with some analysts believing the Padres will be the team to trade for him.

It's great to see the Padres check in on some of the best pitching in the league; however, if they want things to change in 2026, they need to upgrade the offense. This article will highlight four players who could make a serious impact in manager Craig Stammen 's lineup.

4 Padres' Early Trade Targets

Adley Rutschman – Baltimore Orioles – C/DH

The Baltimore Orioles ' once-prized prospect is a great trade candidate for the Padres. In fact, I would be shocked if Preller was not all over this guy to be the starting catcher for the foreseeable future. Ben Verlander thinks the Friars should trade for Rutschman for multiple reasons. San Diego does not have a good catcher on the roster right now, with Ethan Salas still a few years away from being ready for the big leagues. Baltimore also contains another good hitting catcher in Samuel Basallo .

The Padres cannot expect to keep rolling out the platoon of Freddy Fermin and Roldofo Duran and expect success. Both are hitting .130 and below. Rutschman gives the Padres a much better hitter with slug and a guy who could be a face of the franchise.

The catcher is hitting .253 with seven home runs, 29 RBIs, 12 doubles, and has an OPS of .799.

Trevor Larnach – Minnesota Twins – LF/OF

Not only do the Padres need a hitting catcher desperately, but they need another left-handed bat. Gavin Sheets is the best-hitting lefty on the roster, as Merrill is seriously struggling, and Jake Cronenworth has been on the IL most of the season.

Trevor Larnach of the Minnesota Twins could be a great addition to the lineup. The Twins are going nowhere in the American League and have the minor league talent to replace him easily. Larnach is hitting .260 with three home runs, 17 RBIs, and a .763 OPS. Against right-handers, he is hitting .290 with a .420 SLG and .820 OPS, adding nine doubles and 22 walks.

Larnach would be a cheaper option compared to going after a massive name. Considering how that is going for SD right now, maybe these types of players could really help them.

Oswald Peraza – Los Angeles Angels – 2B/INF

Peraza is having an incredible season with the Halos. Peraza is not a left-handed hitter, but he is turning into one of the better hitters of the 2026 season. He is hitting .280 with 47 hits, seven homers, 15 RBIs, and has a .797 OPS, adding seven doubles, one triple, and nine walks on the season. He could emerge as a great hitter at the bottom of the Friars deep lineup as a second baseman or DH. Trading for Peraza could keep Tatis Jr. comfortably in right field as well.

The Angels will finish 5th in the AL West division, and the front office could take advantage of how well he is playing, with his value higher than normal.

Carlos Cortes – Athletics – RF/OF

Carlos Cortes is a great left-handed hitter who many MLB fans aren't aware of right now. The right fielder is hitting .321 with five homers, 17 RBIs, and has an OPS of .915. This would not be a sell by the A's; this would be an attempt by Preller to try to add a very hot bat in the lineup at a decently high price. Cortes is going to be scouted by a ton of teams with how well he is hitting right now. The 28-year-old isn't really a part of the future for the Athletics .

If Preller can insert one of those four players into the lineup, then that could go a long way for the Friars in 2026.

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