Could the White Sox save the Padres' catching problem ahead of the 2025 trade deadline?

Coming into the season, it was known that the Padres would have several question marks surrounding their catchers. Will Luis Campusano prove that he is ready for a full-time MLB role? Will Martin Maldonado (who is retiring at the end of the year) or Elias Diaz be enough to carry the team through an entire season?

Ahead of the trade deadline this season, it's pretty clear that the Friars' questions have not been answered, resulting in a need of a quick upgrade at catcher. Their top prospect in Ethan Salas is still a couple of years away from playing in the bigs, and it's time for San Diego to be proactive with this issue.

Enter the Chicago White Sox. This team has a ton of catchers, almost to the point where there is no room for some of them. This could make for a solid club to trade with, as their supply at catcher seems endless. They won't give up someone like Kyle Teel, but the Padres could trade for a cheap option in Korey Lee.

Lee, 26, was dealing with a left ankle sprain for a few months this season, so he slid down in Chicago's catching hierarchy. He's played in 31 games with Triple-A Charlotte in 2025 (entering July 11), boasting a .269 average with six home runs, five doubles, and 13 walks.

Lee also has some MLB experience dating back to 2022, but never quite got a consistent opportunity with the White Sox until 2024. In 124 games last year, he clipped 27 extra-base hits and showed some defensive prowess. His pop time was in the 97th percentile among all MLB catchers in 2024, and his caught stealing above average was in the 82nd percentile. He also runs well, and sits between the 56th and 60th percentile in sprint speed among all players. He was sent down to Triple-A this year after just 14 games in Chicago.

Will Korey Lee be the long-term savior for the Padres? Certainly not, but he could be the perfect resolution to San Diego's problems in 2025, and maybe until Salas is ready for the big leagues.

Acquiring Lee also will not burn a hole in the Padres' pockets, or prospects. Their 10-15 best prospects would assuredly be safe. If the Padres want to contend for the playoffs and make a push in the back-half of the season, then going after Lee is a safe option as the Friars can still patch up other holes in their roster.