https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/08/07/padres-daily-ohearn-steps-up-mason-slides-by-efficient-morejon-laureanos-throw/

Sheets 2.0

O’Hearn was the extra that proved the imperative of the Padres’ trade deadline haul.

He was the one who personified A.J. Preller’s aim to eliminate “weak links” from the Padres’ roster in the pursuit of a championship.

But the challenge when adding three new position players is connecting all the links.

O’Hearn isn’t the only one trying to figure out his role.

The reality is he brings some of the same skillset as Gavin Sheets, who was such a big part of the Padres’ fast start to the season and had established himself as a regular part of the lineup right up to the trade deadline.

They are both left-handed, both can play the corner outfield spots and first base. They both hit right-handed pitching far better than lefties.

But Preller decided getting the player he absolutely needed from the Orioles, left fielder Ramón Laureano, was not enough. He wanted more.

So he added prospects to get the Orioles’ only All-Star (O’Hearn) as well. And added another prospect or two to get the Orioles to pay down both veterans’ contracts to the league minimum.

“We like the combination with the right and left,” Preller said of O’Hearn and Laureano. “We love Sheets. Some people were like, ‘Oh, he’s like another Sheets.’ OK. I’ll take two Sheets.”

O’Hearn’s 391-foot homer over the fence in right field followed a fly ball caught on the track in the seventh inning and a ball caught just in front of the track on Monday. He hit both of those drives to right field (plus one to center field last night) just a little too near the handle of his bat.

“I’m close,” he said. “I’m just a tick off, I think. The two swings tonight, just a hair in on me and could have easily done some more damage. But I’m in a good spot. Just got to keep going, keep getting comfortable, keep grinding out at-bats and hopefully continue to contribute.”

21 comments

  2. “I’ll take 2 Sheets before I take 2 Sheets, and then I’ll take 2 more.”

  6. Does feel kind of absurd that Sheets hasn’t played since the deadline though. What’s the point of having two if you’ll only play 1

  8. the fitted sheet and the top sheet, you can get away with just the fitted sheet, but the top sheet really is nice to have.

  15. This becomes a dance with LF, 1B, and DH.

    The dancers: Laureano, Sheets, O’Hearn, and Arraez. Cronenworth too, if needed.

    That means 4 players for 3 spots, so 1 of the 4 will always be on the bench. Great depth to have, but if all 4 are doing well, it becomes a struggle to get them all in the lineup. You’d have to either bench Tatis (jaja) or Cronenworth, and move Arraez to 2B maybe?

    Laureano is too good this season to see the bench. So that really makes it Sheets, O’Hearn, and Arraez for 1B and DH. And it gets more complicated if they want a “rest” day for Machado or Bogaerts to move them to DH, since only Iglesias can really back them up.

    Since Arraez and O’Hearn were hot, Sheets was the odd man out. Yet he sometimes carried us, so I do hope he gets good playing time going forward. I’m not sure what I’d do, unless just a constant juggle to make everyone rested and happy, or if an injury creeps in.

  16. No offense to Sheets but this is kinda like if we traded for Ernie Clement then said “wow this is like having 2 Manny Machado’s! They’re both right handed and play 3rd base”

    Obviously not as extreme but O’Hearn clears Sheets big time

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