Padres surprisingly listed as trade fit for former All-Star catcher

It's been a topsy-turvy season for the San Diego Padres, but the Friars seem to be hitting their stride.

After slumping right before the All-Star break, the Padres came out firing in the second half, taking two of three from the American League-best Cleveland Guardians and then sweeping the Washington Nationals, punctuated by a Dylan Cease no-hitter.

As of Friday, the Padres are in a playoff spot, which means they have every excuse they need to pursue upgrades at the trade deadline. But while other teams have begun to make splashes, the Padres have thus far stood pat.

One area the Padres could look to improve is the catching position, where second-year backstop Luis Campusano has failed to establish himself as a surefire starter. And one insider believes that improvement could come from a surprising source--the roster of a division rival.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on numerous trade deadline rumors and rumblings on Friday, in which he proposed the Padres could acquire the Colorado Rockies' Elias Díaz.

"The Padres could be in the market for a catcher, so Elias Díaz is a possible fit," Heyman said.

Díaz, 33, could be a good fit for a short-term catching fix. The 2023 All-Star Game MVP is making just $6 million this season and is putting up a more-than-respectable .735 OPS/101 OPS+.

One deciding factor in whether the Padres will acquire a catcher is how much they believe in what Kyle Higashioka is doing right now. A throw-in from the New York Yankees in the Juan Soto trade, Higashioka has an .809 OPS in 45 games this season.

If Higashioka continues producing the way he is right now, there's theoretically no need for Díaz. However, Díaz is a more proven commodity, which teams tend to target when making a playoff push.

Whatever the Padres decide, they've got to move quickly. The trade deadline is Tuesday at 6 p.m., at which point San Diego will have to duke it out in a packed National League playoff race with the roster they've got.

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