Padres Pursue Major Trades for Outfielder, Catcher, Starting Pitcher

The San Diego Padres are actively seeking to bolster their roster ahead of the July 31 trade deadline to strengthen their chances in the highly competitive National League West. They are targeting outfield upgrades, with Boston's Jarren Duran as the preferred option, but may pivot to Texas Rangers' Adolis García, a potentially impactful but more affordable alternative. Additionally, the Padres are exploring the catcher market, specifically aiming to acquire Atlanta Braves' All-Star Sean Murphy, despite the difficulty given his high-value contract and Atlanta's reluctance to trade him. On the pitching front, the Padres could pursue Baltimore Orioles' right-handed pitcher Zach Eflin to address uncertainties around their starting rotation, particularly due to injuries to key pitchers Yu Darvish and Michael King. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller is known for bold moves, and the team appears poised to make significant trades to compete for a World Series title. These efforts reflect the Padres' urgency to improve both offense and pitching as they remain close to playoff contention.