The San Diego Padres are one of five teams that have never won a World Series title, along with the Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Seattle Mariners.
This season, the Padres are one of the best teams in Major League Baseball but will need some reinforcements in the outfield to put them over the hump.
In the outfield, Fernando Tatis Jr. and youngster Jackson Merrill are stars, but contributions from their left fielders have been the Padres’ most significant issue. Veteran Jason Heyward is seeing the most time in left, making 21 starts at the position, but he owns a poor .494 OPS and is on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain.
Padres Linked to Reds and Former Orioles’ All-Star
If the San Diego Padres decide to make a left field upgrade at this year’s MLB trade deadline, which is July 31, the Cincinnati Reds could be a suitable partner.
While Jake Mintz of Yahoo Sports lists the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen as a name to keep for the Padres, he also lists Reds outfielder Austin Hays, who, like Heyward, is also on the 10-day injured list with a left foot contusion.
“The San Diego stars-and-scrubs fantasy team rolls on. Padres outfielders have a combined .536 OPS, the second-lowest mark in baseball. An upgrade there feels necessary,” Mintz wrote about San Diego’s outfield situation.
“How general manager AJ Preller goes about improving his roster despite a farm system that’s been left relatively barren by years of win-now moves will be fascinating. San Diego’s top two prospects, catcher Ethan Salas and shortstop Leodalis De Vries, are legit, but it’s very light behind that duo.”
Salas and De Vries are too far from MLB promotions to consider not making roster additions. Salas is 19 and began the year at Double-A San Antonio. De Vries, the Padres’ No. 1 prospect on MLB Pipeline, is just 18 and started the year at High-A Fort Wayne.
How Hays Fits With Padres
After a rough 22-game stint with the Philadelphia Phillies during the second half of the 2024 season, Hays, 29, signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Reds during the winter.
This year, the righty slashed .303/.346/.555 with a 141 OPS+ and six home runs in 31 games before his foot injury.
“We’re thrilled there’s not a broken bone, but he’s really sore,” manager Terry Francona told MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon after Hays fouled a ball off his foot on May 28 against the Kansas City Royals. “So we need to just let him have a few days. Hopefully, that’s all it is.”
The Cincinnati Reds’ record is 33-33, and they are 4.5 games back of the third National League Wild Card spot. A poor showing in June could force them to become sellers at the deadline. That’s where the San Diego Padres could step in.
As stated, Hays is making just $5 million this year, so the Padres’ price tag to acquire him could be relatively cheap. With Heyward seemingly nearing the end of his career, San Diego could platoon Hays and Tyler Wade, providing a nice balance of power, contact, and speed.
There may be more high-profile names on the market come the trade deadline, but Hays would be an affordable asset for the Padres and has a chance to be a valuable second-half season rental.
Padres Trade Idea Lands Reds’ 22 Home Run All-Star in San Diego