San Diego Padres Have A Busy Month

By Steve Atkinson 

The second-place San Diego Padres are closing in on the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. This week, they have a series against the San Francisco Giants, followed by a trip to Milwaukee to face the Brewers. Next Monday, they will return home for a four-game series against the Dodgers. The Giants are in third place and are right behind the Padres in the standings, so it is crucial for them to win the series against them this week.

Padres win a big game against the Giants on Monday

When you’re on the road in that extra inning with the runner on second, you don’t typically bunt guys over,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “But it leads into Suarez being able to go back out and some of the calculus there. So we took a shot with Wadey bunting him over for Iglesias. And just a professional at bat. (Walker) gets people on the ground, but (Iglesias) was able to get the ball up in the air and get us the run we needed.

They have improved their ability to score with runners on base compared to two years ago. Despite facing injuries, they continue to perform well and win the games they should. Over the past weekend, they won the series against the Pirates, which is significant as they head into the crucial month of June.

There are reports and rumors that the Padres are interested in trading for Jarren Duran, as they need a left fielder. However, the details regarding what they would give up in exchange with Boston remain unclear. They had pursued Duran back in 2024, but that trade fell through. While they could certainly benefit from an extra bat, it remains uncertain what the Padres would offer to Boston in return.

As the Padres face a daunting upcoming schedule and glaring holes at the bottom of their lineup, their list of trade targets again includes Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, league sources told The Athletic. The Padres expressed interest in Duran ahead of the 2024 season, before veteran left fielder Jurickson Profar and then-rookie center fielder Jackson Merrill joined Duran as first-time All-Stars. Now, an underwhelming Red Sox team might consider Duran expendable; outfielder Roman Anthony remains tantalizingly close to Boston, and a restless fan base has been clamoring for the arrival

A combination of Jackson Merrill and Duran could be a powerful addition to the Padres’ lineup, providing much-needed depth. I believe this move benefits the Padres more than it does the Red Sox, but I’ll discuss that later. For them, it’s a smart decision, and they likely won’t need to give up much in return. By the end of next week, I think the Padres could find themselves in first place in the NL West.