MLB Trade Deadline 2023: Padres acquire slugger Ben Gamel from Rays

As the MLB Trade Deadline begins to draw closer and closer, the San Diego Padres have kicked off the action by acquiring Ben Gamel from the Tampa Bay Rays. The veteran outfielder will now find himself with a San Diego team that will be looking to turn their season around in the second half of the year.

The move should help Ben Gamel return to the MLB as he has spent the entirety of the 2023 season in the minor leagues. The 31-year-old last appeared in the MLB with the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 2022 season, hitting .232 with nine home runs and 46 RBIs.

"Just spitballing. Padres should go after Ben Gamel. Lefty bat, shown some pop, stuck in the minors with Tampa. Could provide some depth. Tampa trades often with the Padres. I don’t know anything, it just seems like something they’d do" - @SamNeher24

While he will undoubtedly be used as a platoon piece for the Padres, his experienced left-handed bat should be useful off the bench for the Friars. Although Gamel has bounced around the league since his debut in 2016, he has proven in the past that he has some power in his bat, though is not something that can be relied upon.

The best season of his career came in 2017 with the Seattle Mariners which saw the outfielder hit a career-high 11 home runs and 59 RBIs, while also maintaining a .275 batting average.

"FLORIDA MAN CRUSHES BASEBALL. Ben Gamel of Neptune Beach, Florida (we're told that's about 15 miles from Jacksonville) homers for the 2nd time tonight!" - @DurhamBulls

The acquisition of Ben Gamel may only be the beginning of an active summer for the San Diego Padres

Entering the 2023 season, the expectations for the San Diego Padres were lofty, as in, winning the World Series. However, things have not gone according to plans. Stars such as Manny Machado and offseason acquisition Xander Bogaerts have endured slow starts to the year, not to mention the suspension of Fernando Tatis Jr.

This is why it's expected that the trade for Ben Gamel is only the beginning of a potentially interesting trade deadline for the Padres. At 8.5 games back from the division lead, the Friars could either become buyers or sellers at the deadline.

If the team elects to trade away some of their veterans, stars such as Josh Hader could find themselves in a new uniform before the end of the season. However, if they opt to add to their roster, there will be several veterans available on the market, including Lance Lynn and Logan Gilbert.