Padres Rumors: MLB Writer Predicts Unexpected Trade With Dodgers

On paper, the Padres and the Dodgers are perfect trade partners.

Trade rumors have been swirling around both the Padres and the Dodgers. Now, an MLB writer has linked the Dodgers and the Padres together.

Grant Brisbee of The Athletic thinks the Dodgers and Padres could make a swap involving one of San Diego's many pitchers:

"It won’t be one of the upper-end arms, like Blake Snell or Joe Musgrove, but a quality arm like Seth Lugo or Michael Wacha (who is on the IL, but threw a bullpen session on Tuesday). ...

"They’ve gotten some strong innings from Lugo and Wacha, and if they can take one of the Dodgers’ prospects in exchange for one of them, they should consider this deadline to be a win."

Conventional wisdom says divisional rivals don’t make trades, but at this trade deadline, everything goes because only a few teams are sellers.

The Padres and the Dodgers have been trade partners in the past. The 2014 season was the last time, when the Dodgers sent superstar Matt Kemp to the Padres for switch-hitting catcher Yasmani Grandal.

The Dodgers need pitching, both starting and relieving, and the Padres need good minor league prospects after they depleted their farm system in the Juan Soto trade with the Washington Nationals in August 2022. The Dodgers have a loaded farm system and don’t have any room on their 40-man roster to protect their top prospects.

This year, while the Padres’ offense has been a huge disappointment, their pitching is the best in the National League. The Dodgers’ offense is strong, but their pitching desperately needs help.

The Dodgers could benefit from getting either Blake Snell or Joe Musgrove for their weary starting rotation. However, like Brisbee points out, the Dodgers also could use either Michael Wacha or Seth Lugo, who both are on the IL.

The Dodgers could give the Padres someone like Michael Busch — who can hit well but can’t field — and one of their swing and miss pitchers in AA.

On paper, the trade between the Padres and the Dodgers makes perfect sense, but will the Padres help their biggest rivals win another divisional title?