San Diego Padres: 3 options who could be a big boost at first base

Just when you thought the San Diego Padres were ready to sell off a high-priced ticket item or two before said items leave in November without getting anything for their departure, the Friars go off and sweep the best team in the American League and are now seemingly players in the National League Wild Card race.

Although GM A.J. Preller hasn't exactly come out and said "we are not trading our best players that everyone wants, but are instead adding to the team for the postseason," that's definitely the vibe given this past weekend's impressive showing against the Texas Rangers. The only ones associated with the Padres who haven't made the trip to Colorado seem to be the Petco Park grounds crew. It appears that guys like Josh Hader, Blake Snell and Juan Soto aren't going anywhere, so let's run with that. The Padres are not sellers, but buyers heading into the August 1, 6 p.m. (Eastern) trade deadline. So what should San Diego be shopping for?

I've seen in the infamous "online" that San Diego, who sits eight games out in the NL West and five games out of the Wild Card, may be looking for DH and outfield help for an offense that's still only batting .238. Sure. Ok, but I feel they have a much more pressing need for offense at first base and should go find it even if it may create an awkward situation in the clubhouse. But, hey, they're going for it, right? So potential awkwardness be damned.

San Diego's current first baseman Jake Cronenworth is hitting an un-whopping .216 with eight home runs and 38 RBI. That's not what the Padres expected out of the two-time All-Star who they gave a seven-year, $80 million extension to on April 1. The 29-year-old had his best month of the season in the worst offensive year of his career, but his .244 average in July is very relative and still a problem. Whether Cronenworth's paltry numbers this season are a mere slump in his career or part of a cruel season-long April Fool's joke, the fact remains that San Diego needs more production out of the first base position if they're going to "go for it" the final two months of the regular season.

Sure, bringing in another first baseman to take at bats away from your freshly extended first baseman could be awkward, but can you really worry about that? After all, you're going for it! So where at this late hour do the Padres find a first baseman with some kind of bat?

3 potential options for the San Diego Padres to improve at first base

Josh Naylor, Cleveland Guardians

Of the players I'm listing here, Naylor is the one true legit big bat who will likely also bring the heaviest price of a top prospect and possibly a player on the current San Diego big league roster.

The one-time Padre is batting .308 with 15 homers and 79 RBI and is batting .344 this month after hitting .370 in June. Naylor is Cleveland's primary first baseman, but does frequently serve as their designated hitter as he's had 89 at bats in that role carrying a .270 average. Cleveland just traded their last true quality starter Aaron Civale to Tampa Bay, so although just a half-game behind Minnesota for the AL Central lead, the Guardians front office may be thinking what everyone else already believes to be true, "whether its Cleveland or the Twins, not much is going to happen for the AL Central this postseason."

Not only would Naylor be a huge upgrade at first base and designated hitter, but he'd automatically be one of the best offensive weapons on the Padres roster. Naylor is on his second one-year, arbitration-avoiding contract with Cleveland so this could turn out to be just a rental, but hey, they're going for it. Right?!

A quick note before going shopping for the Josh Naylor statue materials: as great as the past two months have been for Naylor at the plate, over his career he's a career .247 hitter in August and .238 in September/October.

Joey Meneses, Washington Nationals

The running theme in this search of first base offense for the Padres is that the teams of these players are not going anywhere in 2023. Yes, Cleveland is only a half-game out of first in the AL Central, but the general consensus is that kind of won't mean much come October so let's just work with that caveat.

The Nationals are dead last in the NL East, a mere 23.5 games behind Atlanta, and 12.0 games out of the NL Wild Card. As its been known since about the Kentucky Derby, it ain't happening in D.C. this season. It's time to keep looking towards the future in Washington, the somewhat distant future. The Nationals' status as a bottom of the standings team would make you think that they'd be wheeling and dealing heading into the August 1 trade deadline, but its been the complete opposite in Washington. The only moves the Nats have made over the past few weeks have all been internal within the organization, promoting, designating, re-assigning minor leaguers in and out of Washington and their minor league locations. The activity gives the look of a team evaluating what they have in their farm system rather selling those who have made it or will make it to play in the nation's capital. I'll give them credit for that, but there's one player Washington should be all ears on.

Although 31 years old, this is only the second season for Joey Meneses in the bigs and he's another sophomore slugger who is excelling in The Show. The designated hitter who can also play some first base is hitting .283 with eight homers and 58 RBI, building nicely off his .324 rookie average over just 56 games.

Meneses' first full season is putting him on pace to best both his home run and RBI rookie totals. After hitting .280 in April and .315 in May, the Nationals DH cooled off in June to the tune of a .238 average, but has rebounded in July with a .261 average. Meneses has hit .291 over the last seven days and has hit safely in nine of the last 11 games. Some splits that should look tantalizing to Padres brass is that Meneses hit .333 last August and .318 in September/October and, although he's primarily been the DH this season, he is a .316 hitter when playing first base. Meneses is also on a one-year $700,000-plus contract.

Like Vaughn, but a tad bit pricier, Meneses could fetch the Nationals two nice prospects from San Diego.