Fernando Tatis Jr. is the name that grabs attention, but the real issue hanging over the Padres is much bigger than one wild trade thought.
USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale floated the possibility of A.J. Preller considering a deal involving Tatis or Mason Miller in his GM meetings column, even though there’s no sign San Diego has shopped Tatis or asked him to waive his no-trade clause. The idea may be speculative, but it lands in a familiar place for the Padres: the rotation still needs serious work.
That’s where the new ownership group comes in. The question for Kwanza Jones and José E. Feliciano is how much freedom they’re willing to give Preller as he tries to rebuild the staff with Tatis still in right field and Miller still closing games.
The Padres already spent last season piecing together their rotation, and now they may have to do it again. Michael King and Nick Pivetta are free agents, which makes the starting-pitching problem even more urgent.
If King comes back, there’s at least a clear answer for Game 1 of a playoff series. If he leaves, Preller has to find someone he trusts in that role and then add another dependable veteran behind him.
Trading Tatis would create a different hole entirely. The Padres would then have to replace a right fielder who changes games with both his bat and his glove.
Trading Miller would mean finding a closer on top of everything else already on the shopping list. Either move would solve one problem by making another one worse.
And Tatis is not some luxury piece sitting on the edge of the roster. The big contracts were already in place when Jones and Feliciano bought the team, and Tatis is coming off a season in which he went 55 games without a homer but still finished with 25 home runs, 38 steals and a .289 average. He also earned a 2026 Silver Slugger finalist nod in the NL utility category and already owns two Gold Gloves in right field.
So yes, the Padres need starters. But Tatis is also one of the reasons it makes sense to pay for them.
In Other News...
Padres Prospects Offered A Needed Sign For This Thin Farm System
For a farm system that has spent much of the year looking thin, the Arizona Fall League All-Star game offered San Diego a welcome bit of visibility. Right-hander Kannon Kemp, outfielder Alex McCoy and shortstop Justin DeCriscio all got a turn on the stage, giving the Padres a small but useful reminder that there is still some talent working its way through the pipeline.
Kemp showed the kind of arm strength that can stand out in this setting, while McCoy had a mixed night that included both a single and a double play. DeCriscio, meanwhile, delivered one of the games cleaner details with a key squeeze bunt for the National League side in its 7-4 win, the sort of small-ball play that can still matter when prospects are trying to make a name for themselves. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Are Chasing A Rotation Move Dodgers Fans Can't Ignore
The Padres are heading into the offseason with their rotation squarely in focus, and Tarik Skubal has emerged as one of the most intriguing names on their board. San Diego has made clear it wants to rebuild the pitching staff, and president of baseball operations AJ Preller has already framed the winter as both a challenge and an opportunity to reshape the group through free agency, trades and internal development.
Skubal is projected to land a record-breaking deal, which tells you how high the bar is for any team hoping to get involved. For the Padres, the interest underscores just how aggressively they may need to chase top-end pitching if they want to close the gap in the division, and it sets up a winter where their rotation plans could become one of the biggest storylines in the league. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Fans Can See Where This Michael King Debate Is Headed
Michael Kings decision to opt out of his Padres contract has put San Diego right back in the middle of a market that suddenly looks a lot more expensive than it did a few weeks ago. The right-hander is one of the more intriguing free-agent pitchers available, and the early projections from The Athletic and ESPN point to a deal in the neighborhood of three years and roughly $78 million to $79.5 million.
For Padres fans, the concern is not just whether King is worth that kind of commitment, but whether another club with a clear rotation need and room to spend decides to jump in first. The Cardinals have been mentioned as a team weighing both their pitching needs and payroll flexibility, and if they get serious, San Diego could be staring at a familiar offseason question: how hard is it willing to push to keep a pitcher who already proved he can matter in its rotation? [Read more 🡒]