The Padres are heading into the most important series of their season with the trade deadline noise still swirling around them, but the real focus is on the field. San Diego opens a four-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight in Arizona, and the two clubs are separated by just one game.
That gap puts the Padres in striking distance of the third wild-card spot, with Arizona sitting just ahead. San Diego has already handled one high-pressure stretch this month, too. After dropping into a similar spot late in its last road trip, the Padres responded by sweeping the Miami Marlins in South Beach, then taking five of six from the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants.
Now they get a chance to move past the Diamondbacks in the standings.
Arizona isn’t exactly rolling over for the occasion. The Diamondbacks have won four of their last five, and they’ll send Eduardo Rodriguez to the mound. He’s been sharp lately and owns a 2.48 ERA, with two runs or fewer allowed in four of his last five starts.
San Diego’s pitching plan is a little murkier. The Padres are carrying what amounts to an 11-man bullpen, and after using six pitchers in yesterday’s 5-4 win over the Giants, the availability picture for tonight is cloudy. Kyle Hart, JP Sears, Griffin Canning and Adrian Morejon are among the pitchers who likely won’t be available, though anyone could still be asked to get a critical out if needed.
That’s part of why the deadline matters so much for San Diego. The Padres need arms, especially starting pitching, and they’re trying to bridge the gap while injured starters Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove work back. Both have been throwing what manager Craig Stammend called “normal” bullpens as they push to return.
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 🡒]