The unfortunate 2025 trade deadline move that backfired on Padres

Remember when the San Diego Padres were setting fire to the wild and unforgettable 2025 trade deadline? The Friars acquired a few productive players in Mason Miller, Ramon Laureano, and Ryan O'Hearn, but the team also had a few transactions that did not pan out.

Leading the pack in that category is 30-year-old left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes. Ending the season on the injured list with left bicep issues, Cortes' stint in San Diego is one of the more forgettable trade pieces in recent memory.

In six regular season starts, Cortes boasted a 5.47 ERA in 26.1 innings, allowing three or more runs half the time. His only memorable start came on August 23 against the Dodgers, when he posted a scoreless innings with one hit allowed across six frames.

Besides that, the Nestor Cortes experiment did not pan out for the Padres. To make matters even worse, Cortes will likely hit free agency this offseason, all while the player they traded to receive Cortes is still in the playoffs.

Brandon Lockridge, who played in 47 games with the Padres this year, is still alive in the postseason as a member of the Brewers. He's only logged two at-bats with Milwaukee, but he's enjoying his time in October, all while the Friars have already been eliminated.

Lockridge, who was beloved by San Diego, saw an uptick in production upon his arrival to the Brewers. He was a .216 batter in San Diego, but inflated that number to .261 in Milwaukee (20 games) before getting sent down to Triple-A Nashville.

The 28-year-old outfielder batted .351 in September in Triple-A, alongside 12 runs scored and seven RBIs. He ended the regular season in the minors with eight hits in his final four games, which was good enough to convince the Brewers that he deserved a spot on the postseason roster.

Lockridge and the Brewers are opposing the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS, and let's not already forget that the Cubs bounced the Padres in the Wild Card round. Although that was enough to get Friars fans to root for Milwaukee, knowing that Lockridge is in the dugout adds even more fuel to see the Brew Crew eliminate the Cubs. They lead, 2-0 in the series already.