The Padres are back in the thick of the National League wild-card race, and that has opened the door for A.J. Preller to do what he does best: chase big names before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
One name already on the radar is Rafael Devers. According to MLB insider Joel Sherman of The New York Post, Preller has at least explored the possibility of landing the slugger from the San Francisco Giants.
"For example, multiple sources said that Preller has at least considered ways to acquire one of his long-time targets, Rafael Devers, though with seven years at $211 million left on his pact, he has one of the most unappealing remaining contracts in the majors," Sherman wrote. "But the Padres have been determined to add lefty-hitting and starting pitching at this deadline."
It’s an attention-grabbing idea on paper. The Padres need offense, and Devers brings plenty of it, at least in the power column. This season, he’s hitting .249 with 22 home runs and 61 RBIs, along with a .797 OPS.
But the deeper numbers point to a more complicated picture. Devers sits in the 27th percentile in expected batting average and the 60th percentile in expected weighted on base average this year.
There’s also the contract, and that’s where this starts to get tricky fast. Devers is owed $28.5 million per season through 2033, which would take him into his age-36 campaign. San Diego already has several long-term commitments on its books, so absorbing that deal would be a major gamble.
That’s why the move feels far less clean than it looks. If the Giants were willing to keep a significant chunk of the salary, the conversation changes. Without that kind of help, the fit gets messy.
Devers is still a quality player, and at 29, he’d give the Padres another younger star to build around. But between the cost in talent and the weight of the contract, this is the kind of swing that could backfire.
For now, San Diego may be wiser to look elsewhere for offense. Then again, with Preller running the show, nothing is really off the table.
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