The San Diego Padres have made their offseason priorities pretty clear: bolster the rotation and lock down first base. But there’s another area that’s flown a bit under the radar and deserves just as much attention-catcher depth.
Let’s rewind to the midway point of the 2025 season. At that point, the Padres’ catching situation was, frankly, a liability.
Elías Díaz and Martín Maldonado were splitting duties behind the plate, but their production was well below par. Together, they hit just .204 with a combined OPS+ of 62.5.
For context, 100 is league average. So yeah-there was a major gap between what the Padres were getting from their catchers and what they needed to stay competitive.
General Manager A.J. Preller didn’t sit on his hands.
At the trade deadline, he sent two pitching prospects-Stephen Kolek and Ryan Bergert-to the Royals in exchange for Freddy Fermín. While Fermín isn’t going to turn into the next J.T.
Realmuto, he represented a clear upgrade. The bar was low, and Fermín cleared it.
But here’s the thing: Fermín isn’t a full-time solution. He’s better suited for a part-time role, which means the Padres still need to figure out who’s going to handle the other half of the catching duties. And that brings us to Luis Campusano.
Campusano, a familiar name in the Padres system, could be in line for the backup role in 2026. But the track record?
It’s not exactly inspiring. He played in just 10 games last season and went hitless in 21 at-bats.
Sure, small sample sizes can be misleading, but the broader trend doesn’t paint a much rosier picture.
Since debuting in 2020, Campusano has posted a career bWAR of -0.7. That’s over six seasons.
Offensively, he’s been about 15 percent below league average, per OPS+. And if you’re thinking, “Well, maybe he makes up for it on defense or with his athleticism,” that hasn’t been the case either.
He’s been a below-average defender and offers nothing on the basepaths.
So where does that leave the Padres?
They’re in a spot where adding another catcher isn’t just a luxury-it’s a necessity. Fermín has likely earned a spot on the roster, but the team needs someone who can push him, or potentially take over the starting role altogether. Campusano, at this point, looks more like depth than a real challenger.
This offseason, Preller has some big decisions to make. The rotation and first base are top priorities, no doubt.
But if the Padres want to solidify themselves as a contender, they can’t afford to overlook the catching position. Whether it’s through free agency or another trade, finding a reliable presence behind the plate could be one of the sneaky keys to their 2026 success.