Miami Marlins reliever Anthony Bender is a very popular name among teams looking to buy leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline.
Per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the San Diego Padres are among the multiple clubs interested in the 30-year-old right-hander.
Every team with playoff aspirations is seeking help in the backend of the bullpen for the stretch run. The Padres don’t have a glaring need for another reliever. Their bullpen has the best ERA in MLB (3.03) and ranks 11th in strikeout rate (8.99 per nine innings).
That unit has been asked to cover 386.1 innings so far, 12th-most among all teams, so the Padres could be looking to ease some of the burden on their current group. If they were to acquire Bender, it could also be a strategic move to keep him away from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers have been connected to virtually every reliever who might be available, though Rosenthal noted on Friday they “do not want to overpay” given the natural volatility that comes with relief pitching.
Bender, who is under team control for two seasons after 2025, has become a popular trade candidate because of his contract status and performance. He has a 1.85 ERA and 25 hits allowed in 44.1 innings this season.
If the Padres can add Bender to a group that already includes Robert Suarez, Jason Adam, Wandy Peralta, Jeremiah Estrada and Adrián Morejón, they would have the ability to shut down any lineup late in games.
The Padres are only four games behind the Dodgers for the top spot in the NL West, with the two teams scheduled to play six head-to-head games in August. They also lead the Cincinnati Reds by two games for the final wild card spot.
