The San Diego Padres were aggressive buyers at the 2025 MLB trade deadline, landing a cast of players that plugged holes at every position of need, while also improving a strength.
At the time of these trades, A.J. Preller was lauded for an incredible deadline. Over two weeks later, Bob Nightengale of USA Today further praised the Padres, going so far as to bump up his already high grade from an "A" to an "A+".
"No one pushed their chips in more at the deadline than Preller," Nightengale writes, "who was completely fearless, making five trades, involving 22 players."
That aggressiveness led to some incredible additions. Their biggest move was acquiring Mason Miller to further strengthen the best bullpen in baseball, which Nightengale appreciated.
"The bullpen has been insane," Nightengale writes, "yielding an MLB-best 2.05 ERA the past six weeks, including a 2.97 ERA for the season, and now has another lethal weapon in 102-mph reliever Mason Miller. It's the best bullpen in the game."
But the moves the Padres made didn't stop there, as they also vastly improved their lineup. Freddy Fermin took over at catcher, while Ryan O'Hearn provided more lineup depth and flexibility. And most importantly, Ramon Laureano has locked down left field.
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"The Padres' offense has broken out, too," Nightengale writes, "scoring 5.33 runs a game since the trade deadline... after acquiring Ramon Laureano, Ryan O'Hearn, and Freddy Fermin. Laureano has been one of the best pickups in baseball at the deadline, hitting .327 with a 1.032 OPS since his arrival."
While both Fermin and O'Hearn have had their moments in a Padres uniform, the addition of Laureano has been massive. The Padres were looking for a left fielder for a long time this season, and Laureano has been a huge improvement over their other options.
It's only been a little over two weeks, but the Padres' trade deadline moves have looked to be one of the best in baseball, only matched by the incredible Milwaukee Brewers, who are the hottest team in baseball thanks to their trades ahead of the deadline.
San Diego's aggressive trade deadline has worked out well so far. They're in lock-step with the Los Angeles Dodgers atop the NL West, and could take the mantle and make a deep postseason run thanks to their additions at the trade deadline.
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