The Padres announced that they have acquired infielder Will Wagner from the Blue Jays for minor league catcher Brandon Valenzuela.
Wagner made his MLB debut last season, and impressed by hitting .305/.337/.451 over his first 86 plate appearances in the Show. The offense hasn’t been there this year, as Wagner has batted only .237/.336/.298 in 132 PA while playing mostly third and first base in part-time duty.
Wagner was primarily a second baseman in 2024 and throughout his minor league career, so he brings some multi-positional versatility to San Diego’s infield. He is a left-handed hitter, adding to a bevy of lefty-swinging bats on the Padres’ current roster, but naturally there’s plenty in flux on what has been a very busy deadline day in San Diego. It is very easy to imagine more moves taking place to further shake up the Friars’ 26-man roster, but Wagner also has three minor league options remaining, so the Padres could easily move him to Triple-A as depth.
Toronto’s infield situation was crowded enough that Wagner was something of a spare part. With Daulton Varsho expected back from the injured list soon, Addison Barger or Davis Schneider could get more time in the infield. Moving Wagner also opens up a 40-man roster spot for the Blue Jays, which could be a hint at move moves to come today.
The 24-year-old Valenzuela is in his seventh year of pro ball, and he has hit .229/.313/.387 over 374 PA with Double-A San Antonio this season. This is his third straight season of Double-A action, as a 27-game stint in Triple-A last year saw Valenzuela struggle at the plate, and it was enough to convince the Padres to bump him down a level for more seasoning. MLB Pipeline ranked Valenzuela as San Diego’s 26th-best minor league, noting that his hitting is his biggest question mark but his overall defense is very strong.