Padres Trades Impact After Deadline

Did the Padres Trades Payoff A Week After Deadline?

Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images

August 8, 2025

It’s been a week since the MLB Trade Deadline passed and a week after San Diego Padres GM AJ Preller made a flurry of blockbuster trades for the Friars.

Preller, known for his aggressive trade strategy, made waves first by trading MLB Pipeline’s No. 3 Overall Prospect Leo De Vries. However, that was a warm-up as Preller dealt out more prospects for a new set of pitchers and position players. In total, 22 players were moved between the Padres and five other clubs.

These trades were necessary for the Padres, who’ve dealt with issues regarding offensive and starting pitching since the season began. Now that everything is said and done, how did Preller do for San Diego?

Offensive Trades Payoff

The Padres obtained Ryan O’Hearn, Ramon Laureano, and Freddy Fermin from the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals, respectively.

Laureano saw usage the day after the trade deadline, and already his presence in left field is unmistakable.

Before Laureano, the Padres platooned utility players in left to fill what was otherwise a gaping hole. However, Laureano is uniquely lauded for his ability to play both corner outfield positions.

Additionally, his bat was a much-needed addition to the Padres’ everyday lineup. In his six games as a Padre, Laureano is 9-for-26 with one homer and five runs batted in. In addition, he’s slashing .346/.370/.654 with a 1.024 OPS. While it’s too early to call if this performance will remain consistent for the remainder of the season, it’s certainly better than what the Padres were working with before.

The same goes for Freddy Fermin, the Padres’ replacement catcher for Martin Maldonado. Much like Laureano, Fermin is as much a defensive replacement as he is an offensive one for the Padres. Last year, Fermin was fourth in the American League with 2.2 defensive WAR. The Padres likely hoped to get some similar defensive prowess out of him.

In addition, batting in the ninth spot is usually a high-leverage position for the Padres, given how much the lineup depth has filled out. Fermin has performed pretty well, going 7-for-16 in his five games as a Padre with three RBI. He’s slashing .438/.500/.500 and has yet to strike out.

O’Hearn is a bit of an odd man out with recent trade acquisitions. He’s received the least amount of at-bats among his peers. That said, it’s not like he hasn’t carried his weight in some regard. The Padres’ most recent victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks is where he recorded his first run as a Padre with a game-tying blast to right-center in the ninth. His rally called the beginning of the end of a hard-fought win.

Defensive Trades Payoff

The Padres added a few pitchers to their staff: Mason Miller, JP Sears and Nestor Cortes from the Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers, respectively.

Miller’s integration into the Padres bullpen has gone as smoothly as one would expect for a flamethrower like him. He’s made three late-inning appearances for the Padres since his acquisition, doing anything and everything. He’s held lead for one, blown a save for another, and recorded as a save in his most recent game. In all cases, the Padres have won each game. It’s safe to say Miller needs some time before he’s settled into the club.

Over the past week, the Padres have been workshopping their new five-man starting rotation. With Michael King returning soon from his stint on the IL and Randy Vasquez sent back down to El Paso, this last week was more or less a tryout session to see who would occupy the fifth spot in the rotation.

JP Sears made his Padres debut in a 10–7 loss against the Diamondbacks. He went five innings, earning 5 runs and striking out 4 men. Following his performance, Sears was sent back down to the minors.

The following game is where Nestor Cortes made his debut as a Padre. Cortes spent most of this season on the IL but made his return to the mound for the Friars. What followed was 4.2 innings of 2 two-run ball, taking a no-decision. Cortes immediately began on a shaky foundation, allowing a 443-foot solo homer from Corbin Carroll in the first inning and a Sac-fly from Alek Thomas in the second. However, as things picked up, so did Cortes, and he held things down long enough for the bullpen to take over. A pretty solid start, and as a result, Cortes is likely the fifth man in the Padres’ new and improved rotation.