Padres Bolster Rotation with Germán Márquez as Arms Race Heats Up in the NL West
While most of the baseball world was passing around chocolates and roses on Valentine’s Day, the San Diego Padres were busy stacking their pitching deck. In a series of savvy moves aimed squarely at narrowing the gap between themselves and the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, A.J. Preller and the Padres front office added some serious depth - and upside - to their roster.
The headliner? Right-hander Germán Márquez, who agreed to a one-year deal with San Diego after spending a decade pitching in the thin air of Denver.
Márquez, still only 30, is looking to bounce back from a rocky return in 2025 following Tommy John surgery. His numbers last season - a 3-16 record and a 6.70 ERA across 126.1 innings - don’t paint a pretty picture, but context matters here.
Coming off major surgery and pitching at Coors Field is a brutal combination for any arm, let alone one trying to find its rhythm again.
Now, Márquez gets a clean slate - and a much more forgiving home environment. Petco Park is one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in baseball, and that alone could make a significant difference.
Add to that the fact he’s no longer expected to be the ace - just one of several quality arms in a deep rotation - and the pressure starts to lift. For a guy who was an All-Star in 2021 and once one of the league’s most durable starters, this is a chance to reestablish himself without carrying the weight of a rotation on his back.
The Márquez signing came on the heels of another rotation addition, as the Padres also brought in veteran righty Griffin Canning. Canning, like Márquez, adds experience and depth to a group that now boasts as many as ten legitimate starting options. That’s not just insurance - that’s a luxury.
Here’s what the Padres’ rotation could look like when the dust settles:
- Michael King
- Nick Pivetta
- JP Sears
- Griffin Canning
- Germán Márquez
And waiting in the wings? Joe Musgrove, who missed all of 2025 but is expected to return at some point this season. When healthy, Musgrove is a frontline-caliber arm - and his return could give San Diego one of the most complete rotations in the National League.
This is a clear signal from the Padres: they’re not just looking to compete; they’re looking to contend. Preller’s front office isn’t afraid to take calculated risks, and Márquez is exactly that - a high-upside arm who’s shown he can be a difference-maker when right. If he regains even a portion of his pre-surgery form, San Diego could have a steal on their hands.
And let’s not forget, the Padres didn’t just focus on pitching. They also inked former Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos, who brings positional flexibility and a veteran bat capable of handling first base, corner outfield, or designated hitter duties. It’s another move aimed at increasing options and matchup flexibility - a hallmark of good roster construction in today’s game.
Bottom line: the Padres are building depth, betting on bounce-backs, and quietly assembling one of the more intriguing rosters in the National League. If Márquez finds his groove in San Diego, this rotation - and this team - could be a real problem come October.