The San Diego Padres are staring at a rotation that needs help, and that’s why Freddy Peralta keeps popping up as the kind of arm that could change the conversation in a hurry.
There’s plenty unsettled already. Michael King may not be back after opting out of his contract.
Joe Musgrove is nearing age 34 and is coming off a two-year absence because of ongoing elbow problems. Walker Buehler, Casey Mize and Robbie Ray are also set to hit free agency.
So it makes sense that San Diego is expected to look outside the organization, and Peralta has become one of the names most tied to the club.
At 30, Peralta was ranked by Jim Bowden of The Athletic as the second-best free agent in the class. His regular season had its bumps, but his postseason run with the Tampa Bay Rays was electric. He was named the 2026 ALCS MVP after posting a 0.75 ERA across three appearances and 12 innings.
“Despite his struggles in New York, he will enter this winter as the second-best starting pitcher on the open market,” Bowden wrote. “He is one of only two starting pitchers who have made at least 30 starts for four consecutive years. I’d like to see him remain in Tampa, but am not sure they’ll be able to play financially at the level it’s going to take to sign him now.”
Bowden also sees the two Chicago teams, the Cubs and White Sox, as potential players for Peralta.
From San Diego’s perspective, the fit is obvious. The Padres have a mix of veterans and younger pieces, and Peralta would bring a level of credibility to the staff based on years of being one of the more reliable arms in the game. A lot of that success came in the National League, and pitching in a park that helps pitchers should only add to the appeal.
How expensive that pursuit gets will depend in part on Tarik Skubal. Once he signs, the rest of the market should start to shake out, and Peralta figures to have plenty of suitors.
If the Padres want to make a real push in the National League and the NL West, they need a move that lands with force. Peralta would be exactly that.
Bowden projects him to land a five-year, $140 million deal this offseason, which works out to an average annual value of $28 million. Spotrac has an even bigger number in mind, projecting a seven-year, $201 million contract with an AAV of $28.7 million.
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