Two teams in the midst of quiet offseasons have discussed the idea of combining to create action.
The Minnesota Twins and San Diego Padres have spoken about a potential trade that would send veteran catcher Christian Vázquez to San Diego, league sources told The Athletic. No deal was considered imminent Wednesday, but there appeared to be motivation on both sides to continue talking.
The Padres are seeking a new primary catcher, and the list of free-agent options has dwindled. The Twins, meanwhile, would like to reallocate resources and are among the teams with interest in San Diego’s top starting pitcher, Dylan Cease, according to league sources.
Since the end of last season, the Padres have not made a trade or signed a free agent to a major-league contract. Perhaps their most notable deal of the winter is a minor-league agreement with 38-year-old catcher Martín Maldonado, whose addition has not stopped the team from pursuing more options behind the plate.
Similarly, the Twins have done little this offseason to impact their Opening Day roster. In need of a first baseman, or a right-handed bat capable of playing the corner outfield and first, and a left-handed reliever, the Twins’ offseason additions are limited to trading for a pair of minor-league catchers and selecting a pitcher in the Rule 5 draft.
Vázquez, who batted .221/.248/.327 with seven homers and 27 RBIs last season, will earn $10 million in the final season of a three-year deal with the Twins. Despite Vázquez’s underwhelming production, the Padres would view him as an upgrade over Luis Campusano.
Campusano, 26, finished last season with a .227/.281/.361 slash line and minus-0.5 FWAR, rating among the league’s weakest defensive catchers.
The Padres could stand to upgrade from catcher Luis Campusano. (Orlando Ramirez / Imagn Images)
A key sticking point in talks between the teams is believed to be how much of Vázquez’s contract San Diego would absorb in a possible exchange. The Padres, who still have multiple needs after missing out on a potential ace in Roki Sasaki, are currently projected to be over the luxury tax threshold. The Padres would like to keep Cease, but some rival officials believe president of baseball operations A.J. Preller ultimately will have little choice but to move the pending free agent and his $13.75 million salary.
For now, the Padres’ search for a viable catcher remains one of their more pressing priorities. There is an argument that Vázquez can still fit that role. ZIPs projects the 34-year-old to be worth 0.8 WAR this season. Over the previous two seasons, Vázquez was valued at 1.9 WAR and 0.9 WAR respectively, catching a combined 180 games.
But even though he’s split time behind the plate with Ryan Jeffers in two seasons with the Twins, Vázquez, who has started in 177 of 324 games since 2023, is open to and expected to be able to carry a heavier workload, which would benefit the Padres.
San Diego has previously expressed interest in Vázquez. After the 2022 season, the Padres spoke with Vázquez, then a free agent, before he signed with the Twins. The Padres went on to claim former Minnesota catcher Gary Sánchez off waivers the following May, and Sánchez revitalized his career during his brief time in San Diego.
A little more than two years later, the Padres’ catching depth again appears thin. Brett Sullivan, the only catcher besides Campusano on the 40-man roster, has appeared in 40 big-league games over the past two seasons while continuing to serve as organizational depth. Maldonado, a non-roster invitee to spring training, was released by the Chicago White Sox in July. Top catching prospect Ethan Salas, 18, is not ready for the majors, after logging a .599 OPS last season in High A.
While Minnesota could be a logical trade partner, a deal is not a foregone conclusion. The Padres already were expected to trim payroll before a legal dispute between family members of late owner Peter Seidler went public. And knowing they’d still need to acquire a veteran backstop via trade or free agency in an expensive market, the Twins are reluctant to eat a large portion of Vázquez’s salary.
Reallocating resources has become the norm for the Twins front office after ownership slashed payroll by $30 million following the 2023 season. While the expectation is the Twins’ payroll won’t be further reduced this season, the front office once again is working with limited funds until the team sells. Ownership announced its intention to sell in October and though a winning bid is expected to be picked by Opening Day, it likely won’t be in time to influence the team’s payroll.
Last January, the Twins offloaded infielder Jorge Polanco’s $10.5 million salary to Seattle in exchange for pitchers Anthony DeSclafani and Justin Topa and two minor leaguers. The Twins used the money saved to sign first baseman Carlos Santana to a one-year deal worth $5.25 million.
Santana returned to Cleveland on a $12 million deal in December and the Twins have yet to replace him. Though they’ve discussed a Jose Miranda-Edouard Julien platoon at first, the Twins ideally would like to bring in a player with more experience, preferably a right-handed hitter.
Beyond Vázquez, the Twins are among multiple teams that have expressed interest in acquiring Cease, who has a pair of top-four Cy Young Award finishes in the past three seasons. The right-hander would provide a good Twins rotation with an outstanding, if short-term, upgrade. But the sides might not find common ground on a package. The Twins would prefer to provide a value-laden package to replenish the Padres’ depth as opposed to the higher-upside talent Preller likes to hunt.
(Top photo of Vázquez: Jerome Miron / Imagn Images)
