Padres Complete Their Lineup with Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano
The San Diego Padres needed to add at least one bat to the lineup, but they were able to grab two by swinging a deal with the Orioles.
San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller continues to approach this trade deadline with unprecedented tenacity. After acquiring star closer Mason Miller from the Athletics, he swung a huge deal with the Baltimore Orioles to get two impact hitters.
The Padres acquired 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn and OF Ramón Laureano, in exchange for six minor leaguers: INF Cobb Hightower, LHP Boston Bateman, RHP Tyson Neighbors, OF Victor Figueroa, INF Brandon Butterworth, and RHP Tanner Smith.
In an absolute blockbuster move, the Padres addressed their lack of lineup depth in a huge way. Laureano and O’Hearn were the top two batters on the Orioles this season in terms of wRC+ and trail just Gunnar Henderson for the team lead in fWAR.
According to RosterResource, the two immediately jump into the starting nine for San Diego and make this lineup look like a formidable one, should they make the playoffs.
By picking up two projected everyday starters and not having to trade anybody from their major league roster to do so, it’s easy to say that San Diego is better suited for a playoff run.
The Padres currently sit at 60-49, owning the final National League Wild Card spot, with a three-game lead over the Cincinnati Reds.
In this piece, we’ll take a deeper look into what each team acquired in this massive, eight player trade.
Ryan O’Hearn’s Role in San Diego
2025 Stats: 361 PA, .283/.374/.463, 13 HR, 43 RBI, 3 SB, 134 wRC+, 2.4 fWAR
O’Hearn, 32, was a huge find for Baltimore when they acquired him off waivers from the Kansas City Royals entering 2023. He was the Orioles’ representative at this season’s All-Star Game and is a free agent after this season.
In 348 games over three years in Baltimore, O’Hearn slashed .277/.342/.454 with 42 home runs and a wRC+ of at least 119 in each individual season.
Defensively, O’Hearn is primarily a first baseman. This season, he’s started at first 39 times, while accumulating 16 starts as a corner outfielder, and the remaining 31 times he’s been penciled into the starting lineup have been as DH.
O’Hearn is an elite bat against right-handed pitching, slashing .294/.384/.490 with 13 of his 14 home runs against opposite-handed arms. Against lefties, he’s less effective but playable. O’Hearn has a .667 OPS against southpaws in 64 plate appearances.
The Padres do also have a left-handed hitting designated hitter-type in Gavin Sheets, whose role is now a bit unclear with the acquisition of O’Hearn. Perhaps both will play against righties and Laureano will sit, but he’s been good against same-handed pitchers this season. Laureano also provides a defensive boost that O’Hearn and Sheets do not in the outfield.
If the Padres traded away this much capital for O’Hearn, an All-Star, it’s hard to believe that they acquired him to share playing time with Sheets. Sheets likely moves into a bench role.
Ramón Laureano’s Fit with the Friars
2025 Stats: 290 PA, .290/.355/.529, 15 HR, 45 RBI, 4 SB, 144 wRC+, 2.3 fWAR
Laureano, 31, was signed as a free agent by the Orioles this past offseason to a one-year, $4 million deal with a $6 million club option for 2026. He was expected to be a bench outfielder in Baltimore, but when injuries arose he was thrusted into an everyday role and delivered.
This move made a ton of sense for San Diego. They had been playing Sheets in left field frequently, who is not a reliable outfielder come playoff time. Given that the Padres are also tied up into a lot of guaranteed money with guys like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, they needed an affordable outfielder who can contribute, and Laureano is just that.
In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, we identified the Padres as the best fit for Laureano at this trade deadline.
Laureano became an Oriole regular even as the team got healthier in July because he just wouldn’t stop hitting. It’s great when your right-handed hitting outfielder owns an .801 OPS against lefties, but even better when he crushes righties to a .930 OPS!
Given how impactful he’s been against any pitching at the plate and that he has a cannon of an arm in the outfield, Laureano should get the chance to play every day in left field.
What Did the Orioles Acquire?
The majority of the Orioles’ return has never made it above A-ball, signaling that general manager Mike Elias chose to play for upside with this return package. None of these players will factor into the Orioles’ roster plans for this season, and perhaps even next.
Cobb Hightower, INF (#3 San Diego Prospect for Just Baseball)
2025 Stats (A): 190 PA, .239/.363/.314, 1 HR, 21 RBI, 7 SB, 100 wRC+
“A bat-first infielder with a great feel for the barrel, Hightower really impressed in the bridge league, looking more advanced at the plate than his prep peers. Hightower has the offensive ingredients to climb through the minors relatively quickly.” – Aram Leighton
Boston Bateman, LHP (#7 SD Prospect)
2025 Stats (A): 68.1 IP, 4.08 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 25.8% K%, 8.6% BB%
“A towering, hard-throwing lefty, Bateman is more of a thrower than a pitcher in the early going of his professional career, but the stuff is plenty projectable.” – Aram Leighton
Tyson Neighbors, RHP (#15 SD Prospect)
2025 Stats (A+/AA): 43.2 IP, 1.85 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 37.6% K%, 10.6% BB%
“Neighbors’ fastball sits in the mid 90s, averaging more than 20 inches of induced vertical break from a slightly above average release height, giving it elite ride. Working off of it is a gyro slider at 88-91 MPH that tunnels well off of his hoppy fastball from an over-the-top release. The two pitch combo will almost certainly play in a big league bullpen and Neighbors should climb through the Minor Leagues quickly.” – Aram Leighton
Victor Figueroa, OF
2025 Stats (CPX/A): 276 PA, .318/.420/.588, 12 HR, 47 RBI, 5 SB, 167 wRC+
“It’s early, but Figueroa looks like another potential late-round steal for the Padres flashing above average power to all fields.” – Aram Leighton
Brandon Butterworth, INF
2025 Stats (A+): 377 PA, .267/.327/.455, 11 HR, 46 RBI, 13 SB, 115 wRC+
Tanner Smith, RHP
2025 Stats (CPX/A): 26 IP, 3.46 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 28.1 K%, 11.6% BB%
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Daniel Rotter follows the game of baseball with passion. He was the youngest participant in the inaugural year of The Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational, at 17…