Padres’ catcher situation looks settled, but one nagging detail won’t go away

Starting pitching and first base headline the Padres' top needs this offseason. But what most people don’t realize is that solidifying the depth at catcher is just nearly as important as the pair of elephants in the room.

Halfway into the 2025 season, the Padres had by far the worst catching tandem in the league. Manned by Elías Díaz and Martín Maldonado, the pair’s combined batting average was .204 with an average OPS+ sitting at 62.5. Change was needed.

At the trade deadline, A.J. Preller pulled off the trade that sent Stephen Kolek and Ryan Bergert, a pair of pitching prospects, to Kansas City. In return, the team got Freddy Fermín, an average catcher at best, but exponentially improved that position group.

However, Fermín isn’t an everyday catcher, meaning Preller has some work to do when it comes to figuring out who will be the backstop for every third day. Luckily, he doesn’t need to do an extensive search, as the team awaits the return of a prospect that has come up through their minor league system. But we don’t know if he should be the answer as the backup catcher.

Luis Campusano could be the backup catcher in 2026 despite consistent struggles

Campusano only appeared in 10 games in 2025, so take this with a grain of salt, because he didn’t record a single hit in 21 at-bats. However, based on past seasons, we’d only imagine his numbers would’ve stayed similar to how they appeared this past season.

Campusano, 27, has been in the league since 2020, and he has accumulated a -0.7 bWAR over those six seasons. According to OPS+, he is 15 percent worse than the league average hitter.

You’d think that the reason the Padres keep a catcher so bad at the plate would be because he has talent in other areas. Nope, Campusano has been a below-average defender while providing zero threat on the basepaths.

The Padres need to acquire another catcher to compete not only against Luis Campusano but also Freddy Fermin. Obviously, Fermin would remain on the roster, but maybe the team strikes gold on a new starting catcher.