With a 31-23 record and only two games behind the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West, the San Diego Padres have shocked many this season.
After a quiet summer during which several of the Padres’ main players left, the team has seen success. In February, they signed starting pitcher Nick Pivetta to a four-year, $55 million contract, making him their greatest addition.
However, the Padres have continued their success from the previous season and are putting up a strong fight to rank among the best teams in the league.
There is, nonetheless, one obvious hole that need repair.
All-Star left fielder Jurickson Profar, who signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Atlanta Braves before being suspended for breaking the league’s prohibited drug policy, was traded to the Padres last season.
The Padres brought in a slew of veterans, including Jason Heyward and Connor Joe, who have already been sent to the Reds, but they were unable to replicate his output this summer. Still on the roster, Heyward has had a terrible season, batting just.176 and now serving his second spell on the disabled list.
The Padres are actively searching the trade market for a left fielder, and Sports Illustrated’s Jason Fray found the ideal candidate by connecting them to slugger Tyler O’Neill of the Baltimore Orioles.
“Tyler O’Neill of the Baltimore Orioles is a guy that could end up being a major difference-maker,” Fray said. “With him, there has never been any doubt about his skill. O’Neill has a great arm and some light-tower power, making him an excellent athlete.
O’Neill is recovering from a shoulder injury at the moment. After getting off to a scorching start, the right-handed batter drastically cooled off. He has two home runs, an OPS of.605, and a.188 batting average for the season.
O’Neill did, however, have his second career 30-plus home run season in 113 games with the Boston Red Sox last season, ending with an OPS of.847. He would address San Diego’s roster’s biggest weakness and is a two-time Gold Glove winner.
He has an opt-out clause after this season, but he inked a three-year, $49.5 million contract this summer.
“San Diego could bet on O’Neill returning to form, and he would be a great fit with the Padres considering the energy with which he plays,” Fray said.
“He will probably reenter the market if he arrives via trade and puts up impressive statistics, saving San Diego from having to pay a hefty price tag. He could hypothetically opt in with the Padres and have just two years remaining on his contract if he doesn’t, in which case San Diego would sign him to a short-term contract when he is still in his playing peak.
The Orioles are likely to have to make a trade at the deadline given their current record of 19-36.
