One of the most important positions for the San Diego Padres to address in the next month is their catcher spot. With Martin Maldanado and Elias Diaz struggling at the plate, both behind it and next to it, the issue needs to be resolved soon.
While there aren’t a ton of options on the table, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic linked the Padres to former catcher Gary Sanchez, currently on the Baltimore Orioles, as a trade fit at the MLB trade deadline.
“The Baltimore Orioles just placed three catchers on the injured list in a span of 10 days.” Rosenthal writes. “Once they are healthier, they could make Gary Sanchez available for a second stint in San Diego.”
A reunion with Sanchez would be a solid outcome for the Padres amid their dire need to find a new starting catcher. With a ton of the best options unlikely to be moved, Sanchez is likely to be their best bet come the MLB trade deadline.
In 2023, when he was on the Padres, Sanchez had a .792 OPS and had 19 home runs in a strong offensive season for the team. They claimed him off waivers from the New York Mets, but this time, the Padres will have to trade with the Orioles for him.
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This season in Baltimore, Sanchez is batting .247 with five home runs in 85 at-bats. His .763 OPS is a tick below where he was with the Padres in 2023, but he’s still a solid offensive catcher.
The big issue is his defense. He has three errors behind the plate and has negative eight defensive runs saved on the year. Sanchez has also allowed 17 stolen bases in 2025, catching only one baserunner all year.
Combining his poor defense and his slow base running, Sanchez isn’t the best catcher option. But, with the Padres, he’d be a solid option. His offensive firepower is what the Padres need out of their catcher position, and Sanchez is likely one of the best slugging catchers that could be dealt.
Rosenthal making this link and proposing a trade between the Orioles and the Padres makes a lot of sense. While the Padres will have to wait for the Orioles’ catchers to get healthy, once they do, a reunion with Sanchez could be on the horizon.
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