KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Royals.com) – The Royals on Thursday traded backup catcher Freddy Fermin to the Padres for right-handed pitchers Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek.
In the leadup to MLB’s Trade Deadline, the Royals made moves that balanced what they hope is a postseason run in 2025 while also thinking about ‘26 and beyond, and the deal with the Padres fits that thinking.
TRADE DETAILS
Padres receive: C Freddy Fermin
Royals receive: RHPs Ryan Bergert (SD’s No. 7 prospect), Stephen Kolek
Bergert, 25, made his Major League debut this season and has a 2.78 ERA across 11 games (seven starts) and 35 2/3 innings. The Padres’ No. 7 prospect has a 22.8% strikeout rate and 12.1% walk rate, but that walk rate was lower when he was in Triple-A earlier this year (9.2%) and Double-A last year (7.9%). The Padres drafted the rookie out of West Virginia in the sixth round of the 2021 Draft.
Kolek, 28, has just over a year of service time and won’t be a free agent until 2030. He made his debut in ‘24 with the Padres — after they took him in the Rule 5 Draft in 2023 from the Mariners — and posted a 5.21 ERA out of the bullpen that season. This year, he has a 4.18 ERA across 14 starts in 79 2/3 innings. He’s been up and down between the Padres and their Triple-A team and was optioned on Wednesday. What stands out about Kolek is his low walk rate, at 7.7% this year in the big leagues and 5.7% last year.
The Royals were searching for pitching on Thursday to help their injured rotation, and now they have two options — with Kolek also having experience in the bullpen.
What they gave up was a backup catcher, although Fermin was much more than simply a backup in Kansas City. The 30-year-old Fermin has been Salvador Perez’s right-hand man for the past three seasons, stepping up into more of a co-catcher situation as Perez plays more first base and DH — and Fermin is a both a clubhouse and fan favorite because of work ethic, preparation and ability to come through in big moments, including in walk-off situations.
Fermin first signed with the Royals in 2015 out of Venezuela and slowly but surely made his way up to the big leagues, making his debut in 2022. He’s a solid defensive catcher but has developed into a good hitter, too, in the right spots, with a .268/.314/.383 slash line.
But with Perez still as their main catcher, the Royals used Fermin’s talent to net them a big-time need at the Deadline in pitching depth. Kansas City has a plethora of catching depth in the Minors, with their two top prospects, Blake Mitchell and Carter Jensen, power-hitting backstops. Jensen has eight home runs in 22 games in Triple-A this year and could be ready as soon as the end of this season (more likely, in 2026).
The Royals also still have Luke Maile on their 26-man roster, and he’ll likely step into Fermin’s role for the immediate future.
