The San Diego Padres are heading toward the trade deadline with a clear priority, and it starts on the mound. According to MLB insider Joel Sherman, the club wants to land at least one starting pitcher, and San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray is on the list of names they’re following.
“Padres determined to add at least 1 SP in this market. The Giants' Robbie Ray is among those they have interest in.”
That would be a notable swing for San Diego, especially with the club trying to stay in the mix in the National League Wild Card race. The rotation has been one of the team’s biggest trouble spots for much of the season, and Ray stands out as the kind of experienced arm that could immediately change the look of that group.
When he’s healthy, Ray has shown he can anchor a rotation and work through opposing lineups with strikeout stuff. That’s exactly the kind of profile the Padres seem to be chasing as the deadline gets closer and the pressure ramps up.
The division angle makes this even more interesting. Deals between rivals don’t happen often, but they do happen, and the Padres and Giants know each other well. If San Diego puts together a strong enough offer, San Francisco could decide the return matters more than where Ray ends up.
For the Padres, the fit is obvious: they need stability in the rotation. For the Giants, dealing a veteran starter could mean adding young talent and strengthening the organization’s future. If the two sides find common ground, this could end up being one of the more surprising moves of the deadline.
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Padres Deadline Rumors Hint At One Real Need And One Huge Swing
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There is also a far more ambitious idea in the mix, one that would take a lot more maneuvering to pull off. Sherman reported Preller has at least considered Rafael Devers as a target, but the combination of Devers contract and the awkwardness of dealing with a division rival makes that path look far less straightforward than the pitching pursuit, which is why the deadline could end up revealing whether the Padres want a fix or a headline. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Bullpen Plans
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The Yankees reportedly had interest in prying Morejon away in a deal for Will Warren, a controllable starter, but the Padres passed. For a club trying to stay in position for October, that kind of move would have tested whether immediate bullpen stability matters more than longer-term rotation depth, and San Diego has chosen the former for now. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Face A Trade Deadline Call On One Bullpen Arm
The Padres already had one of the busier buzz cycles around the bullpen market, and Adrian Morejon has become a name worth watching as the trade deadline approaches. San Diego and the Yankees reportedly explored a deal that would have brought right-hander Will Warren to the Padres, a reflection of how clubs are weighing pitching depth against bigger roster needs as the deadline clock keeps ticking.
Nothing has been finalized, and the two sides are still free to keep talking before the deadline. Even so, the fact that Morejon is at the center of the discussion adds a layer of intrigue for San Diego, where every bullpen decision feels tied to the bigger question of how aggressive the front office wants to be in reshaping the roster for the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]