Padres Connected to Cubs Slugger in Potential Blockbuster Trade

The San Diego Padres are in desperate need of more offensive help ahead of this year's Aug. 3 trade deadline.

San Diego currently sits as one of the worst hitting teams in all of baseball, with the team ranking in dead last in multiple categories. Despite this, the Padres have kept themselves alive in the playoff race, so any moves made at the trade deadline could help a postseason push.

Many around the league see the Padres as a team expected to be active, and offense will be a priority. MLB insiders Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan of ESPN recently connected the Padres to outfielder Seiya Suzuki of the Chicago Cubs, and he could be just what this team needs.

How Would Seiya Suzuki Help the Padres?

Suzuki will be a free agent at the end of the 2026 season as he finishes out his five-year, $85 million deal, so the Cubs could look to move him before they potentially lose him for nothing during the offseason. The slugger has been very good for Chicago since signing with the team ahead of the 2022 season, and he could help spark this Padres offense.

Chicago is trying to win this season, but the front office may not view Suzuki as a long-term piece to the roster, and could look to move him to fill other needs on the roster. This is where the Padres could come in, as Suzuki could help fill a void in the San Diego outfield.

So far this season, Suzuki has hit .269 with 10 home runs and 31 runs batted in, while registering an OPS of .803.

Suzuki has the power to hit over 20 home runs a season, which could drastically help the Padres right now. He's finished with an OPS above .800 in each of the last three seasons.

San Diego needs more consistency from its offense game-to-game, and Suzuki has finished with an OPS+ well above league average every season. The outfielder is coming off a career-best 2025 that saw him hit 32 home runs while driving in 103 runs.

Despite his 5-foot-11 size, Suzuki displays underrated strength at the plate.