The San Diego Padres’ offseason could get busy in a hurry, and Robbie Ray is one more name who may be on the way out the door.
After losing 10 players to free agency Thursday morning, including Michael King, the Padres are staring at a roster that could look very different by the time the 2027 season rolls around. King’s decision to opt out of the final two years of his deal only adds more pressure on San Diego to piece together a rotation for next season.
Ray is part of that picture too, even though his time in San Diego was brief. The Padres brought him in before the deadline to help stabilize the starting staff, but the move never really paid off. Now, with Ray hitting the market after completing his five-year, $115 million contract, one projection has him leaving San Diego again.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic projected Ray to land a two-year, $45 million deal.
"Ray had a 3.59 ERA in 182 1/3 innings for the Giants in 2025, his first full season back after 2023 Tommy John surgery. He followed that up this year by posting a 3.08 ERA in 122 2/3 innings for the Giants before being traded to the Padres at the deadline," Bowden wrote.
"Ray didn’t pitch as well after the deal, posting a 5.02 ERA in nine starts, and he was ineffective in the postseason. He isn’t the Cy Young Award-level starter that he was when he was last a free agent following the 2021 season, but he’s still a solid mid-rotation starter."
Bowden also listed the Padres among the best landing spots for Ray, along with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox.
But San Diego’s interest may not be enough to bring him back. Ray’s stint with the Padres was shaky from the start, as he went 3-2 with a 5.02 ERA in nine starts, covering 43 innings with 33 strikeouts and 27 walks.
At 35, and with those strikeout-to-walk numbers looking rough, the Padres may have better places to spend their money. The sense here is that both sides move on, with San Diego likely to chase younger, more dependable, and cheaper rotation help in free agency.
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