One of the main needs for the San Diego Padres at the MLB trade deadline is a left fielder. The Padres have been linked to every outfielder available at the deadline by countless writers. But, there is another need on the roster, which is, undoubtedly, a much more dire need.
According to Nick Lee of the East Village Times, the Padres should be looking to trade for a catcher. Of the options that could be on the market, Lee identified the Minnesota Twins veteran catcher Ryan Jeffers as a top trade target.
Lee called Jeffers "The cure for what ails the Padres." That ailment is the Padres' catcher position. Martin Maldanado and Elis Diaz have provided little to no value defensively from behind the plate, and their offense has been even worse.
Maldanado has a 55 OPS+ and Diaz has a 69 OPS+ through the first half of the season. Neither catcher is an average hitter, and the two have combined to form one of the worst catcher rooms in baseball in 2025.
Luis Campusano is still working in the minor leagues, but he's struggled every time he's been called up to the Major Leagues recently. The Padres need to resolve this catcher issue if they are looking to contend, and Jeffers is a great way to do it.
He's a solid defender, not any worse than either of the Padres' current catchers. But, more importantly, he's a significant upgrade offensively. In the 2025 season for the Twins, Jeffers is batting .248 with a .747 OPS. He has an OPS+ of 108, which is significantly better than both Diaz and Maldanado.
In his career, he's had great offensive seasons, and if the Padres could acquire him, he'd immediately be a huge upgrade offensively. The Padres need a catcher, and Lee identified Jeffers as the best target.
As the Twins sit 11.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central and 3.5 games back of a Wild Card spot, they could be open to selling Jeffers. The Padres' landing Jeffers would have him under team control through 2026, and would have a significant improvement at the catcher position.