Padres Officially Land Jackson Merrill Replacement in Trade With Pirates

Johnson, 29, made 47 appearances for the Padres last season, slashing .206/.286/.238 with 13 hits, four RBIs, and seven walks. While he was mainly a right fielder in San Diego, he has 36 career games and 164 innings logged in centerfield.

Johnson was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2017 and made his MLB debut in 2022. In 88 games across three seasons with the Giants and Padres, he's hit .177 with an OPS of .474.

In nine Triple-A games this year, Johnson has hit .080 with an OPS of .299. However, with the Padres desperate for centerfield depth — as Merrill will be out longer than his minimum IL stint requires — they're taking a chance on the outfielder.

As for the return, the Padres are giving up Sullivan, who wasn't on the 40-man roster and thus blocked by catchers Elias Diaz, Martin Maldonado, and Luis Campusano.

The 31-year-old catcher has appeared in just 40 MLB games for San Diego over the last few years, hitting .206 with two home runs, eight RBIs, and an OPS of .542.

Sullivan will likely get an immediate opportunity in Pittsburgh as they've dealt with numerous injuries to their catching room.

Catcher Endy Rodriguez was placed on the injured list Tuesday due to a laceration in his finger. Catcher Joey Bart has missed the team's last five games with lower back discomfort, and appears headed for an IL stint.

The Padres have used Tyler Wade and Jason Heyward in centerfield since Lockridge went on the IL. They now have another potential option in Johnson, who would need to be added to the 40-man roster.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.