Padres’ power outage exposes urgent need to add a slugger

In the thick of a playoff race, the Padres have a glaring issue on their hands. The team is not hitting home runs.

As a team, San Diego ranks 25th in home runs, with just 57. They are tied with the Marlins and Rockies, two teams towards the bottom of the standings. The Padres also rank just 21st in doubles, with 95. Overall, the team's .378 slugging percentage ranks 22nd, and their .693 team OPS ranks 19th.

Considering how hard it has been for the Padres to hit for power, it feels like a miracle that they are sitting just a game back of the Dodgers for first place in the NL West. While their pitching staff has been impressive, it feels like in order to make a sustained run at the division title, the Padres need to bolster their offense.

How early is too early for AJ Preller to swing a trade for a slugger? At this point, it is probably time to start getting serious about it. While San Diego has been slowed down by injuries to key players like Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth, that still does not excuse their lack of longballs.

With plenty of power bats available — will the Padres make a move by the trade deadline?

If the Padres did want to pursue a trade for a slugger, there are a few teams they could reach out too.

The easy answer would be Baltimore, although the Orioles are likely every contender's first choice to trade with. That's because the Orioles have two pending free agents in their outfield who are off to great starts. Cedric Mullins leads the Orioles with 10 home runs, and his 116 OPS+ is the second-best mark of his career. His defense in center field has been a weakness, but a move to left field in a potential trade to San Diego might benefit him. Also in Baltimore is Ryan O'Hearn, a corner-outfielder and first baseman who has hit nine home runs and currently holds an .887 OPS.

Another team the Padres could turn to is the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels have leftfielder Taylor Ward under club control through 2026, but would they be willing to part with the power-hitter? Ward's 18 home runs lead the club, and while he has a weak OBP of .259, he would be a valuable addition to the back of San Diego's lineup. The Padres already have plenty of high on-base hitters, but need more power, so perhaps Ward would be a good fit.

Then there are the Diamondbacks, who have a pair of pending free agents in Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez. The D-backs, at 34-34, are not out of contention just yet, but a couple of bad weeks could prompt the team to sell high on Suarez and Naylor. Whether they would trade within the division or not is debatable, but if Arizona were willing to trade with the Padres, they have multiple options. Suarez has hit 19 home runs this season and appears to have found his groove. Naylor has hit eight home runs and 16 doubles, with an .819 OPS.

While most teams wait until the trade deadline to make big moves, it increasingly feels like the Padres can not afford to wait any longer. For the best chance to compete, the Padres need to add a slugger, and soon.