The San Diego Padres traded Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek to the Kansas City Royals for a catcher who is under team control through 2029.
The San Diego Padres, hours after swinging the blockbuster of the trade deadline in acquiring Mason Miller from the Athletics, have swung their next trade. A.J. Preller and the Padres have found their new catcher.
According to ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, the Padres are sending Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek to the Kansas City Royals for catcher Freddy Fermin. The move nets the Padres their new starting catcher for one of their top-ten prospects.
The San Diego Padres are acquiring catcher Freddy Fermin from the Kansas City Royals for right-hander Ryan Bergert, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2025
Fermin is a 30-year-old catcher who, like Miller and J.P. Sears, is under team control beyond 2025. Fermin's under control through 2029, and will hit his first year of arbitration in 2026.
This season, the right-handed hitting catcher has a .255 batting average in 67 games as the Royals' backup to Salvador Perez. He didn't have much of a chance to start over Perez, but now in San Diego, he'll likely start over Martin Maldonado and Elias Diaz.
In his big league career, Fermin has a .697 OPS and a 94 OPS+. While he's a slightly below-average hitter, he's significantly better than Diaz and Maldonado as hitters.
MORE: Padres considering 'big' move at trade deadline, according to Jeff Passan
The Padres bring in Fermin to be the new starting catcher after scouring the market for an upgrade at the position. It's an important move for the Padres, even if it comes at the cost of an interesting 25-year-old pitching prospect.
Bergert is the Padres' 7th-ranked prospect, who has already made his big league debut. In 11 games for the Padres this season, including seven starts, the right-handed pitcher has a 2.78 ERA and 34 strikeouts across 35.2 innings pitched.
Kolek, meanwhile, is a 28-year-old right-handed pitcher who has a 4.18 ERA for the Padres this season in 14 starts. He pitched a complete-game shutout against the Colorado Rockies in a 21-0 blowout.
This is the second deal of deadline for Preller and the Padres. Between their first two moves, the Padres have traded their 1st, 3rd, and 7th-ranked prospects. But they landed an elite closer, brought in a controllable starter, and a much-needed catcher replacement.
This deal for Fermin addresses a huge need and helps the Padres round out their lineup. With under three hours before the deadline passes, the team is still looking for a new left fielder.
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Category: Baseball
