One of the two main issues plaguing the San Diego Padres is their catcher spot. Elias Diaz and Martin Maldanado aren't great options, and the Padres should be in the market to find a replacement.
But, despite the dire need at catcher, Clay Snowden of Just Baseball predicts that the Padres will trade away catcher Luis Campusano. Snowden's piece talks about players in need of a change-of-scenery, and Campusano is among those players.
"Campusano has done nothing but hit in the minors," Snowden writes. "And considering how thin the catcher position is, teams could be lining up to roll the dice on him."
Ironically, if Campusano were on a different team, the Padres would be one of the teams Snowden mentions that'd line up for him if he became available. For teams in need of a starting catcher, Campusano's stats in the minors are very appealing.
He's hitting .319 with 13 home runs and a 1.047 OPS in Triple-A. If he carried those numbers to the Major Leagues, he'd be one of the best offensive catchers in baseball.
But, based on his production in the Majors, there's no guarantee his minor league production will carry over. In his stint in the Majors this season, Campusano went hitless in his 18 at-bats.
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A year ago, he hit .227 over 277 at-bats with a .642 OPS. His best season came in 2023 when he hit .319 and had a .847 OPS in 163 at-bats. While he's shown the potential, he's only put it together for brief periods in the Major Leagues.
Snowden's prediction that the Padres could cut ties with Campusano would be a bitter pill to swallow. If he succeeds, they'd be letting a player at a high position of need walk away for, likely, very little.
But, if he stays, and doesn't succeed after getting recalled to the Majors, the Padres could've missed their window to deal the 26-year-old catcher. With team control through 2028, Campusano would likely fetch a nice return if traded at this year's deadline.
Losing Campusano, no matter how much it's for, would be a tough blow to the Padres. Even though he's mashing in the minors, his MLB production hasn't matched it. Snowden wants the Padres to trade him, as a change-of-scenery could lead the slugging catcher to turn things around in the Majors.
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