Padres News: Rival Dodgers Open the Trade Deadline in Deal With Red Sox

Trade season is officially here.

The MLB Trade Deadline is officially underway, and the Padres' NL West rival Dodgers got things started. Tuesday afternoon, the Dodgers acquired utility man Kiké Hernández from the Boston Red Sox, with the return not yet announced. ESPN's Jeff Passan was among the many insiders to report the news.

The Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers are finalizing a trade that would send superutilityman Kiké Hernandez to the Dodgers, sources tell ESPN.

He has spent most of the 2023 season at shortstop but can play second base and center field as well.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 25, 2023

The Dodgers had a need for a right-handed bat, although it's unclear how big of an upgrade Hernández is. The utility man is currently in the midst of his worst year as a pro, with an OPS of just .599.

However, the Dodgers are making it clear that they're going to make multiple moves this deadline, with this just being the first. Also, Hernandez enjoyed six successful seasons in Los Angeles from 2015-2020, so they could be able to somewhat revitalize his career.

For the Padres, this officially means it's on. It's unclear whether the Padres are planning on buying or selling this deadline, but it's now clear that their NL West rival will be going all-in on this team.

If the Padres want to compete with the Dodgers and the rest of the NL's best teams, they're going to likely have to buy this deadline to further upgrade a team with a lot of holes.

On the flip side, they could see that this year just isn't their year, and sell a little bit to retool for next year. Blake Snell and Josh Hader would instantly become the best starter and reliever on the market if the Padres made them available.

Trade season is finally here. This is about to be a wild next week.