A week ago, the Padres looked like a club drifting toward the wrong kind of July, with the deadline headed toward a sell-off. Then they ripped off six wins in seven games and changed the mood fast. Now San Diego sits just one game out of the final National League wild-card spot, and AJ Preller has the opening he was waiting for.
That shift is why the expectation around the Padres is no longer caution. It’s aggression. Over the next 48 hours, they’re expected to act like a team trying to turn itself into a real World Series threat.
The clearest need is starting pitching, and it’s not especially close. San Diego could use help there more than anywhere else, maybe even exclusively there.
The dream target would be Tarik Skubal, but the cost in prospect capital makes that tough to picture. And with the Padres’ farm system described as arguably the worst in the sport, plus uncertainty about how much payroll they can absorb, the front office may have to work a little lower on the board.
That’s where Freddy Peralta comes in. The New York Mets starter fits the deadline profile: on an expiring contract and not having a great season.
Peralta, an All-Star in 2025 with the Milwaukee Brewers, has posted a 4.99 ERA over 113.2 innings with the Mets. The season has gone sideways for him, and for the whole team, but the bet here is that a contender can get him right.
The Padres are willing to take that swing without giving up too much for a pending free agent.
What San Diego is not expected to do is move Mason Miller. The reliever has been brilliant, and the numbers are loud: a 0.79 ERA in 45.2 innings, 85 strikeouts, no home runs allowed and a perfect 28-for-28 in saves. Of course the Padres should listen if someone calls with an offer, but the more likely outcome is they keep him and use him in the kind of run they think this team can still make.
At the same time, almost everybody else in the bullpen is in play. That’s the cleanest way for Preller to patch the roster, especially with the farm system lacking the kind of impact pieces that make bigger trades easier.
Left-hander Adrian Morejon could draw the strongest interest of the group, though the Padres may decide they need both him and Miller if they’re serious about a deep October run. Right-hander Jeremiah Estrada and left-handers Wandy Peralta and Yuki Matsui are also among the names that could be moved.
By 3 p.m. PT on Monday, at least one reliever from the big league roster is expected to be wearing another uniform.
San Diego’s record doesn’t scream all-in, but the recent offensive surge changes the equation. The bats have been among the league’s best over the last month-plus, and with one or two starters added, the Padres could look very different in a hurry. Preller is expected to work the deadline hard, and by the time the dust settles, no National League team may have made more deals.
Whether that buys the Padres a true World Series run is the part nobody can know yet.
In Other News...
Padres Deadline Rumors Hint At One Real Need And One Huge Swing
The Padres deadline search is already starting to look like a two-track operation, with A.J. Preller reportedly weighing both a rotation upgrade and a much bigger offensive swing. Joel Shermans reporting linked San Diego to Mets right-hander Kodai Senga, a name that makes sense if the club decides the pitching market is where it can do the most practical business, especially with New York in a sellers position.
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
With the playoff chase tightening and injuries forcing the rotation to lean on the relief corps, the Padres are making it clear they are not looking to weaken the bullpen for help elsewhere. Adrian Morejon has become an important part of that group, and San Diegos decision to hold onto him says plenty about how it views its late-season formula.
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 🡒]