San Diego Padres rumors: 3 trade deadline deals to make, 2 to avoid

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An interesting dilemma awaits the San Diego Padres this summer. On the one hand, their all-in commitment to 2023 as evidenced by exorbitant recent spending and trade aggressiveness means it would be difficult to backpedal from this season despite some struggles.

On the other? Their farm system, depleted over the years to pave this window into contention, may not be able to withstand another major hit to its already frail depth at the trade deadline.

Ultimately, though, we should expect the Padres to be buyers once again in 2023 because that has become their identity. And there's no reason to believe San Diego will deviate from that identity. With that in mind, here are three moves the club should consider making, and two to avoid this July.

1) The San Diego Padres should trade for Tigers' starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen

Starting pitching may not be the most immediate Padres necessity, but when has anyone ever suggested having depth is a bad thing? And with Michael Lorenzen having pitched to a 3.80 ERA over his last seven starts for the Detroit Tigers (including a solid 1.09 WHIP) , he's a perfectly viable option for San Diego down the stretch.

Seth Lugo is down. Joe Musgrove has an elbow issue that will linger throughout the summer. Can we really trust Yu Darvish right now? Fortunately, Blake Snell has stepped up of late, but the more options Bob Melvin can have every fifth day, the better.

Lorenzen is playing on a one-year deal in 2023, so as a rental, the Padres should be able to afford the 31-year-old righty this summer without moving heaven and earth. This would be a sensible trade to make for A.J. Preller.

Boston Red Sox v New York Yankees / Jim McIsaac/GettyImages

2) The San Diego Padres should trade for Yankees' second baseman Gleyber Torres

No, the Yankees won't be sellers. But yes, Gleyber Torres makes sense for the Padres.

Bleacher Report suggests the Yankees could move off Torres once their lineup regains its health, especially with the logjam they'll have in their middle infield between DJ LeMahieu, Anthony Volpe, top prospect Oswald Peraza. Torres may not have a place to play in the Bronx, but perhaps he would in San Diego.

Ha-Seong Kim and Rougned Odor haven't been great as a second base platoon item in 2023. Therefore, if the Padres find that their options to upgrade in center field or at catcher don't materialize, trading for Gleyber Torres could provide some of the production with the bat that they've been missing at other spots on the diamond.

Of course, this is assuming the Yankees would even move off Torres. And with an extra year of control remaining, San Diego would have to pay a steeper price to acquire the second baseman. It could be worth the cost, however, given Torres' potential and ability to be a solution for the Padres next season as well.

Jun 15, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Elias Diaz (35) hits a home run / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

3) The San Diego Padres should trade for Rockies' catcher Elias Diaz

As our Renee Dechert wrote earlier this month, trading for Elias Diaz of the Colorado Rockies would also make a great deal of sense for the San Diego Padres.

Diaz has one of baseball's most productive hitters, let alone just the fact that he's way above average for a catcher. And we know how much the Padres need to upgrade at this key position.

The veteran Diaz has a .797 OPS this season, while incumbent Austin Nola has a .465 OPS. Fellow incumbent Gary Sanchez has been on a tear since San Diego signed him, though he's cooled down significantly and probably won't be as hot as he was when he first arrived. He's got pop, but so does Diaz and the latter is simply a better all-around threat too. There's a reason Sanchez has bounced around so much recently and been out of baseball for long stretches.

Trading in-division with the Rockies wouldn't be cost-effective, but netting Diaz would provide a solution at catcher for next season as well given his team control.

San Francisco Giants v St. Louis Cardinals / Dilip Vishwanat/GettyImages

2 moves the San Diego Padres should avoid making this summer

1) Trading for Cardinals' starter Jack Flaherty

We previously suggested that St. Louis Cardinals' starter Jack Flaherty would make sense for the Padres this summer. However, he no longer appears to be a viable option.

Firstly, the 28-year-old leads all MLB starters in walks allowed in 2023, a jarring stat. His 4.64 ERA is also a little high for our liking and his absurd 1.59 WHIP wouldn't represent a meaningful upgrade to San Diego's staff.

And though Flaherty would be a rental, there could be better rentals available to the club, such as the aforementioned Michael Lorenzen, as well as Lucas Giolito of the Chicago White Sox.

2) Trading for a reliever with team control

You might want the Reds' Alexis Diaz, the Pirates' David Bednar or even the Tigers' Alex Lange after the Padres pulled off a trade for Josh Hader last summer. But even with Robert Suarez down, we're telling you to pump the breaks.

San Diego simply doesn't have the prospect capital to execute another Hader-type deal this year, nor should they. Relievers are volatile assets, and their value can fluctuate year over year. Save the limited prospect reserves for other more stable players, or go the cheaper route with rentals like the Royals' Aroldis Chapman or Joe Kelly of the Chicago White Sox, both of whom the team can always re-sign as well.

Additionally, with each of the listed players under team control for years to come, it's not even guaranteed these pitchers would even be available at the deadline.

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