The San Diego Padres have already made their first move of the trade deadline by landing left-handed starting pitcher Robbie Ray from the San Francisco Giants, and that may not be the only addition they’re chasing.
Even before that deal becomes official, another name has surfaced as a potential fit: Jackson Holliday. According to Francys Romero of biesbolfr.com, the Padres have “checked in” with the Baltimore Orioles about the availability of the 22-year-old infielder and former first overall pick.
“Padres have checked in on Jackson Holliday, per sources,” Romero reports.
That alone makes for a striking bit of deadline news. Holliday is still only 22, and he remains under club control through the 2030 season. In his Major League career, he has played 269 games and put up 1.9 bWAR with 219 hits, 27 home runs, 98 RBIs, a .233 batting average, and a .674 OPS.
He’s not yet the finished product, but that’s exactly why he stands out. A player that young, with that much team control, would come at a steep price, which is why any real path to a deal would be complicated.
Still, the fact that the Padres have even made contact is notable. A.J. Preller has never been shy about swinging big, unexpected deals, and a pursuit of Holliday fits that pattern.
If it happened, it would also mark another major step in what has already been a busy Orioles sell-off, one that has included Taylor Ward and Adley Rutschman. And for the Padres, it would be the kind of move that would turn heads across the league.
For now, the odds of Holliday ending up in San Diego remain slim. But the check-in alone is enough to make him a name to watch as the deadline unfolds.
In Other News...
Padres Deadline Rumors Hint At One Real Need And One Huge Swing
The Padres deadline search is already starting to look like a two-track operation, with A.J. Preller reportedly weighing both a rotation upgrade and a much bigger offensive swing. Joel Shermans reporting linked San Diego to Mets right-hander Kodai Senga, a name that makes sense if the club decides the pitching market is where it can do the most practical business, especially with New York in a sellers position.
There is also a far more ambitious idea in the mix, one that would take a lot more maneuvering to pull off. Sherman reported Preller has at least considered Rafael Devers as a target, but the combination of Devers contract and the awkwardness of dealing with a division rival makes that path look far less straightforward than the pitching pursuit, which is why the deadline could end up revealing whether the Padres want a fix or a headline. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Bullpen Plans
With the playoff chase tightening and injuries forcing the rotation to lean on the relief corps, the Padres are making it clear they are not looking to weaken the bullpen for help elsewhere. Adrian Morejon has become an important part of that group, and San Diegos decision to hold onto him says plenty about how it views its late-season formula.
The Yankees reportedly had interest in prying Morejon away in a deal for Will Warren, a controllable starter, but the Padres passed. For a club trying to stay in position for October, that kind of move would have tested whether immediate bullpen stability matters more than longer-term rotation depth, and San Diego has chosen the former for now. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Face A Trade Deadline Call On One Bullpen Arm
The Padres already had one of the busier buzz cycles around the bullpen market, and Adrian Morejon has become a name worth watching as the trade deadline approaches. San Diego and the Yankees reportedly explored a deal that would have brought right-hander Will Warren to the Padres, a reflection of how clubs are weighing pitching depth against bigger roster needs as the deadline clock keeps ticking.
Nothing has been finalized, and the two sides are still free to keep talking before the deadline. Even so, the fact that Morejon is at the center of the discussion adds a layer of intrigue for San Diego, where every bullpen decision feels tied to the bigger question of how aggressive the front office wants to be in reshaping the roster for the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]