Royals send catcher Freddy Fermin to San Diego Padres in late trade deadline deal
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals traded catcher Freddy Fermin to Padres for pitchers Bergert and Kolek.
- Fermin posted a .255 average in 67 games, serving as top backup to Perez.
- Trade clears Royals roster spot and reflects deadline push to add pitching depth.
The Kansas City Royals have traded catcher Freddy Fermin to the San Diego Padres in exchange for two pitchers.
Fermin, 30, had batted .255 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 67 games with the Royals this season. He was KC’s top backup catcher behind team captain Salvador Perez and recently emerged as a dependable bat off the bench.
ESPN insider Jeff Passan was first to report the trade on Thursday afternoon. The Royals received right-handed pitchers Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek in the deal.
“For San Diego, he was a target for them,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “They’ve always had an affection for Freddy, so we knew we had a starting piece. And of course, like we do with everything, we try to dance around it and go to other players. But they clearly had a need in the catching department that we could fill for them.”
The Royals were looking to add to their overall roster right up to Thursday’s MLB trade deadline, set for 5 p.m. They had three catchers on the roster in Perez, Fermin and Luke Maile. Fermin’s move to San Diego opened a roster spot.
“The asking price for Freddy was steep,” Picollo said. “And a lot of teams would walk away for anything that we would ask for Freddy, but San Diego didn’t. It’s two young starting pitchers that both have tremendous futures ahead of them.”
Fermin was well respected in the Royals’ clubhouse. The Royals raved about his competitiveness and his ability to always remain ready to play. He was a steady force whenever he was in the lineup and allowed Perez to spend more time at first base or designated hitter.
This season, Fermin also became the second-longest tenured Royal (behind Perez). He was initially signed as an international free agent in 2015 out of Venezuela. The Royals granted him an opportunity to matriculate throughout their minor-league system, and Fermin thrived at each stop.
The Royals promoted Fermin to the major leagues in 2022. He was entrenched as KC’s backup catcher for the last three seasons. Last season, he was a finalist for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award and has drawn praise as a top defensive catcher.
“I will say that is an emotional thing because we’ve had Freddy since he was 20 years old,” Picollo said. “We’ve watched him grind his way through the minor leagues and nobody can outwork that guy. He was the perfect partner for Salvador Perez and Salvy mentored him in a way where he is ready to take over as a starting catcher somewhere. And he had a lot of value in the game.”
The Royals maximized that value in getting Bergert and Kolek in the deal.
Bergert, 25, has appeared in 11 games (seven starts) with the Padres. He owns a 2.78 ERA in 35 2/3 innings. The Padres selected him in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of West Virginia.
Kolek, 28, is in his second MLB season. He has a 4.18 ERA in 14 starts and flashed his potential earlier in the year: On May 10 he threw a complete-game shutout against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
“We have some things that we have to figure out,” Picollo said about how both players could fit in the starting rotation.
The Royals have been searching for additional starting pitching depth with Cole Ragans, Michael Lorenzen and Kris Bubic all currently on the injured list.
“We think it made sense for both teams, and we want Freddy to do well in San Diego,” Picollo said. “And like I told him, let’s play each other in the World Series, and that can be even better.”
This story was originally published July 31, 2025 at 3:13 PM with the headline "Royals send catcher Freddy Fermin to San Diego Padres in late trade deadline deal."
