Padres interested in White Sox catcher with incredible pop-time

While the San Diego Padres are looking to acquire a much-needed outfielder in left, the Padres are also scouring a barren market for any catchers who can provide value to the team this season.

Martin Maldanado and Elias Diaz have been major letdowns, both being below-average hitters and fielders this season. But, with the market dry, it's hard to find a catcher upgrade at the deadline.

However, a new potential option has emerged for the Padres. According to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, the Padres have expressed interest in trading for Chicago White Sox catcher Korey Lee.

"A league source said," Lin writes, "(Kore) Lee has drawn trade interest from the Padres in 2025."

Lee could replace Luis Campusano, Maldanado, or Diaz in the lineup and on the roster. Ironically, both Lee and, just recently, Campusano have unfortunate MLB history on their hands.

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Campusano, after going 0-3 against the Philadelphia Phillies, extended his plate appearance streak to 27 in a row to begin the season without a hit. Back in 2023, Lee also achieved such a feat when he went 28 straight plate appearances to begin the season without a hit.

However, that isn't to say that Lee would be a bad option. The 26-year-old catcher has been bouncing between the Majors and minors in recent years. In 2024, he got the bulk of his MLB experience, where he had a .591 OPS, but had the best pop-time in baseball on throws to second base according to Baseball Savant.

Lee has had some MLB time this season, as he has a .250 batting average and a .657 OPS, much more acceptable numbers from the catcher spot, with both numbers higher than the current crop of Padres catcher options.

He's spent the bulk of this season in the minors and has been solid there as well. He has a .262 average with a solid .780 OPS. While it's not MLB production, that number is good enough to warrant the Padres taking an extended look at the White Sox catcher.

With the lack of options on the market for catchers, Lee presents an intriguing option for the Padres. The former 1st round pick could be a nice pickup, especially if he can maintain league-average offensive production, something he has yet to do in the Majors.

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