The San Diego Padres made yet another move to bolster their chances in 2025, acquiring first baseman Ryan O’Hearn and outfielder Ramon Laureano from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for six players, it was announced Thursday.
The move comes after Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller made a shocking move earlier in the day to acquire lights-out closer Mason Miller and controllable starter JP Sears from the Athletics. Later, Preller improved his catching situation by bringing in Freddy Fermin from the Kansas City Royals.
In all, the Padres added seven players to their major league roster through five trades.
“I think we have a team that can play deep” into October, Preller said. “We have those needs, and let’s go fill them. … Our team has put us in a position to get excited. I think we made our club better, and we’re looking forward to seeing how it goes in the next few months.”
With O’Hearn and Laureano, though, Preller addressed an offense that evaluators considered very top-heavy all year.
O’Hearn, an All-Star starter this year, punishes right-handed pitching and is in the midst of a career season, slashing .283/.374/.463 with 13 homers and 43 RBIs. Laureano, too, has had a big offensive year, slashing .290/.355/.529 with 15 homers and 46 RBIs and providing defensive value with his plus arm strength.
Laureano seems to fit in as the every-day left fielder, with O’Hearn getting most of his at-bats at first base or designated hitter. The Nos. 7, 8 and 9 hitters in the Padres’ lineup entered Thursday with by far the lowest OPS in the majors at .584. Now the lineup has a lot more length to it, balancing a top of the order featuring Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arraez, Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill.
Laureano, 31, is a .252 hitter in his eight-year MLB career with 97 home runs and 298 RBIs.
“I think we’ve taken a team that’s [already] in position to play in the playoffs, and hopefully rounded it out and given [manager Mike Shildt] and his staff the opportunity to do their thing,” Preller said.
“If you’re going to win a championship, you can’t have any weak links,” he continued. “The pieces fit, and the personalities. I’m looking forward to having a lot of conversation with Shildty about the clubhouse dynamic, and how these guys are going to fit in.”
In return, the Orioles get minor league left-handed pitcher Boston Bateman, minor league right-handed pitchers Tyson Neighbors and Tanner Smith, minor league infielders Brandon Butterworth and Cobb Hightower and minor league utility player Victor Figueroa.
