The Padres aren’t hiding their cards this spring - they want another starting pitcher and a bat to round out the roster before Opening Day. President of baseball operations A.J.
Preller made that clear from camp, and with a few weeks to go before the season begins, San Diego is still working the phones and scanning the free agent market. But with payroll constraints looming, the path to filling those needs isn’t exactly straightforward.
Let’s start with the rotation. There are still some intriguing names out there - arms like Zac Gallen, Lucas Giolito, Zack Littell, and Griffin Canning remain unsigned.
But if the Padres are truly trying to stay within budget, it might mean pivoting to more affordable, high-upside options. Think reclamation projects like Walker Buehler or Germán Márquez - guys with frontline stuff when healthy, but coming off injuries that make them more of a gamble.
That said, the trade route might be more realistic. Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports that San Diego could be leaning in that direction.
The challenge? It’s mid-February.
Most teams are still clinging to hope, and moving a starter now - especially for a team with playoff aspirations - is a tough sell. Injuries haven’t hit yet, and depth is king.
But if Preller can find a partner, there are a few names that could fit the bill.
The Nationals, for example, are still in rebuild mode and could be open to moving a back-end arm like Mitchell Parker or Jake Irvin. Neither is flashy, but both were durable in 2024 and took a step forward from the year prior.
Andre Pallante of the Cardinals falls into a similar category - a swingman type who can eat innings and still has minor league options. These aren’t headline-grabbing moves, but for a team like the Padres, they might be the kind of depth needed to survive the grind of a 162-game season.
The Royals have reportedly shown interest in some of San Diego’s outfielders as they look for help there, but that’s a tricky match. The Padres aren’t parting with Fernando Tatis Jr. or top prospect Jackson Merrill, and Ramón Laureano - while expendable - probably isn’t enough to bring back a meaningful arm on his own. Tirso Ornelas could be a flier, but it’s unclear if Kansas City would bite.
The Mets have dangled David Peterson and Kodai Senga at points this offseason, but both come with salary considerations that might be tough for San Diego to absorb. And that’s really the theme here - the Padres have star power, but not a ton of depth. That makes it hard to swing a trade without weakening another part of the roster.
One area where they might be able to deal from strength is the bullpen. Jeremiah Estrada, David Morgan, and Bradgley Rodriguez all have value and could be used as trade chips if the front office feels confident in the remaining relief corps. That’s a gamble, but it might be the cleanest path to adding a starter without touching the lineup or top prospects.
As it stands now, the rotation is shaping up with Nick Pivetta, Michael King, and Joe Musgrove penciled in at the top. Randy Vásquez is in line for a back-end spot after posting a 3.84 ERA last year.
His strikeout rate was one of the lowest in the league (13.7%), but he turned a corner in September, bumping that number to 21% while keeping his walks down. First-year manager Craig Stammen pointed to that strong finish as a reason why Vásquez is currently the favorite to round out the rotation.
If the Padres do add another starter, Vásquez would likely slide into the fifth spot, ahead of JP Sears, Kyle Hart, and non-roster invitees Marco Gonzales and Triston McKenzie. Vásquez is out of options, so he’s making the team one way or another.
Sears and Hart can still be sent to Triple-A, giving the Padres some flexibility. Matt Waldron, the lone knuckleballer in the mix, is also out of options but coming off a rough 6.48 ERA over 21 Triple-A starts.
He’ll need a strong spring to force his way onto the roster.
On the position player side, the Padres are still hunting for a bench bat, but don’t expect a move at catcher. Preller confirmed that the team explored the market over the winter but didn’t see any options that clearly improved their current tandem of Freddy Fermin and Luis Campusano.
Fermin is the defensive anchor - not much with the bat, but a steady glove behind the plate. Campusano is the opposite: big offensive upside, but questions about his defense.
He raked in Triple-A last year, but the Padres weren’t ready to trust him behind the plate, keeping him down while rolling with veterans Elias Díaz and Martín Maldonado. Now that Fermin is in the fold and Campusano is out of options, the Padres are ready to carry him as a bat-first backup.
There’s no one else on the 40-man roster with MLB experience, so the catching situation is likely set.
Preller also addressed his own contract situation this week. He’s entering the final year of his current deal, and while there’s no extension in place yet, he downplayed the urgency.
“Either way, I’m under contract,” he told reporters. “So it’s all about putting a team on the field that’s going to win.”
The expectation is that a new deal will get done - possibly as early as Monday when position players report. But for now, the focus remains on the roster.
There’s still work to do, and the Padres know it. Whether it’s a low-cost free agent, a trade from the bullpen, or a spring training standout forcing the issue, San Diego’s final moves before Opening Day could shape how far this team goes in 2026.