Padres reportedly looking to upgrade this continued weak spot

The San Diego Padres have not had the same primary catcher in consecutive years since Austin Hedges from 2017-20. That may change ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic had reported earlier in July that the Padres were looking to upgrade behind the plate. According to Dennis Lin, also of The Athletic, that search has led to White Sox catcher Korey Lee.

Lee had been a notable prospect when he was acquired from the Astros for reliever Kendall Graveman. He had been the Astros' fifth-best prospect at the time of the trade per MLB.com, lauded for his raw power and quickness, athleticism and strong arm behind home plate.

Although Lee started the 2024 season strong offensively, he drastically cooled off after the middle of May. Lee ended the season with a .210/.244/.347 batting line in his 394 plate appearances, hitting 12 homers and 14 doubles.

That performance, coupled with the acquisitions of catching prospects Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel, made Lee an afterthought. Although he made the White Sox's Opening Day roster, a sprained left ankle suffered in early April pushed Lee down the pecking order. Quero and Teel are both in the majors for the White Sox and, with the acquisition of catcher Blake Sabol, Lee may have fallen further down the depth chart.

There is some hope that Lee could hit enough to be a bridge option for the Padres until prospect Ethan Salas is ready. Lee has posted a respectable .256/.317/.435 batting line in his 987 plate appearances at Triple-A, hitting 36 homers and 48 doubles. Lee is also just 26 years old, young enough where he could still emerge as a solid option behind the plate. As Lee is not likely to cost much in terms of prospect capital, the Padres may be able to find a bargain.