Padres Notes: Sale, Rotation, Infield
The Padres are for sale and they seem to be making progress on that front. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the field of potential buyers has been narrowed from five to four and that the process could be complete by April. Both Acee and Jeff Passan of ESPN report that the sale price is expected to exceed $3 billion.
The Seidler family announced in November that they would be pursuing a sale of the franchise. At that time, it appeared some squabbling within the family could hamper those efforts but reporting in February indicated that some of the legal bumps had been smoothed out and that five prospective buyers had submitted bids. It appears that one of the groups has been removed from the bidding, though Acee doesn’t specify who’s out and who’s still in.
If the price does indeed go beyond $3 billion, that would easily set a new benchmark. The highest sale price for an MLB franchise to date is the $2.4 billion Steve Cohen plonked down to purchase the Mets in 2020.
Turning to the roster, it seems increasingly likely that Joe Musgrove will start the season on the injured list. The righty is looking to get back on the mound after Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2025 season. It was reported three days ago that Musgrove was being brought along slowly in camp. Acee reported yesterday that Musgrove still hasn’t thrown again in the past few days. He pitched three innings in an exhibition game on March 4th but didn’t recover as hoped and has only thrown one bullpen session since then.
The Padres say they are being cautious, with manager Craig Stammen referring to it as a “holding pattern” and a “pause” for Musgrove as they make sure he’s ready to proceed to the next step. “Waiting to kind of get over that hump, feel a little bit better before we start doing anything out on the field,” Stammen said. “But still in a good spot, still something we knew was going to happen, had to prepare for. We’ve got his best interest in mind.”
Even if there’s nothing serious going on, Opening Day is two weeks away, so each day with no progress increases the chances of an IL stint. The Padres are set to open the season with Michael King, Nick Pivetta and Randy Vásquez in three rotation spots. Acee pegs Germán Márquez and Walker Buehler as the favorites for the final two spots, assuming Musgrove hits the IL. Márquez is already on the 40-man roster but Buehler doesn’t yet have a spot. He can opt out of his deal at the end of camp if he doesn’t have one.
Whatever the Friars do for Opening Day will be temporary. Musgrove will be back in the mix at some point. Matt Waldron is behind schedule due to hemorrhoid surgery but is ramping up now. He is expected to start the season on the IL but shouldn’t miss too much time. He is out of options so the Friars would have to find a spot for him on the active roster or bump him off the 40-man. Griffin Canning will also be looking to rejoin the rotation at some point, likely a few weeks later than Musgrove and Waldron.
On the infield, Sung Mun Song is trying to work through a nagging right oblique issue. He may open the season on the injured list, which could have opened a bench spot for someone like Will Wagner. Unfortunately, Acee relays that Wagner is dealing with an oblique strain of his own and has not done any baseball activity since the start of March. He will almost certainly join Song on the IL to start the year. That could increase the chances of someone like Ty France or Mason McCoy getting an Opening Day spot.
Like Buehler, France can opt out of his deal at the end of camp if he’s not added to the 40-man. The Friars opened a spot this week by outrighting Daison Acosta but would need one more if they select both Buehler and France. That won’t be hard. Yu Darvish and Bryan Hoeing are both expected to miss the 2026 season due to surgeries and neither has been moved to the 60-day IL yet.
Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
Bryan Hoeing To Undergo Flexor Surgery
March 12: Hoeing will undergo flexor tendon surgery and miss the entire 2026 season, Acee reports. He’ll be paid around the MLB minimum and land on the 60-day injured list once the team needs a 40-man roster spot. Hoeing will qualify for arbitration next winter but could be a non-tender candidate.
March 9: Padres right-hander Bryan Hoeing may undergo some kind of elbow surgery. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the righty is rehabbing while he makes a decision about whether or not to go under the knife. Manager Craig Stammen tells Acee that the club expects the decision “relatively quickly.”
Just over a week ago, Hoeing was shut down due to some discomfort in his throwing elbow. Pitching coach Ruben Niebla seemed optimistic that it wouldn’t be a serious issue but perhaps new information has changed things.
Acee doesn’t specify exactly what kind of procedure is possible for Hoeing but most elbow surgeries require significant absences. On the extreme end, Tommy John surgery involves a recovery period of more than a year. Even something less serious like a procedure to remove bone spurs requires several months of recovery. Carlos Rodón underwent surgery for bone spurs in October and is targeting a return in April, a span of about six months.
There’s never a good time for a pitcher to have elbow surgery but right now would be particularly unfortunate for Hoeing. He seemed to have a breakout in 2024, posting a 2.18 earned run average in 53 2/3 innings, but he wasn’t able to build on that in 2025. A right shoulder strain put him on the shelf to start the year. He was activated off the IL in June but was mostly kept on optional assignment and struggled to get in a groove, posting a 4.70 ERA in Triple-A. He would be looking to bounce back in 2026 but surgery could get in the way of that.
Even if he can avoid surgery, Hoeing seems a lock to start the season on the IL. Even with him on the shelf, the bullpen competition looks tight. Acee writes that Kyle Hart is making a strong push for a spot. He has thrown 8 2/3 scoreless innings in spring training action thus far with seven strikeouts, allowing three hits and three walks while hitting one batter. He worked as a swingman last year but struggled, posting a 5.86 ERA in 43 innings.
Left-hander Yuki Matsui is a potential wild card, as he has been battling an adductor strain. Acee says Matsui has resumed defensive drills and throwing from a mound but is still questionable for Opening Day.
On paper, the Padres project to have eight bullpen spots taken by Mason Miller, Adrián Morejón, Jeremiah Estrada, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta, Bradgley Rodríguez, Ron Marinaccio and Matsui. Of those eight guys, Morejón, Peralta, Matsui and Marinaccio can’t be optioned. Of the four who can, Miller surely won’t be. Estrada and Morgan aren’t likely to be sent down either, given their strong results. Rodríguez is more plausible, since he has just seven big league appearances under his belt. Jason Adam is questionable for Opening Day. If he’s healthy, he would likely bump Rodríguez to the minors.
That would make it hard to squeeze in Hart, who does still have an option, unless Matsui starts the season on the IL. Things could also get tightened further when Matt Waldron returns. He is going to start the season on the IL but isn’t expected to miss too much time. He is out of options and would need to squeeze someone out or be squeezed himself, unless further injuries pop up.
Photo courtesy of David Frerker, Imagn Images
Offseason In Review: San Diego Padres
Despite some in-fighting among ownership, the Padres brought back one of their key free agents. The Friars took their usual approach of signing a notable player from an Asian league and adding a bunch of cheap veteran free agents just before Spring Training. As has frequently been the case, they’re also heading into the season with a new manager.
Major League Signings
- RHP Michael King: Three years, $75MM (includes opt-outs after ’26 and ’27 seasons)
- 2B/3B Sung-mun Song: Four years, $15MM (includes opt-out after ’28 season and mutual option for ’30)
- DH/LF Miguel Andujar: One year, $4MM (including buyout of ’27 mutual option)
- RHP Griffin Canning: One year, $2.5MM (including buyout of ’27 mutual option)
- RHP Germán Márquez: One year, $1.75MM (including buyout of ’27 mutual option)
- LHP Kyle Hart: One year, $1.2MM (including buyout of ’27 club option)
- 1B/OF Nick Castellanos: One year, $780K league minimum (Phillies covering remainder of $20MM salary)
- RHP Daison Acosta: Major league deal (later outrighted)
- RHP Ty Adcock: Major league deal (pre-arbitration)
2026 commitments: $24.5MM
Total future commitments: $99.45MM
Trades and Claims
- None
Option Decisions
- RHP Robert Suarez opted out of two years and $16MM
- RHP Michael King declined $15MM mutual option in favor of $3.75MM buyout (later re-signed)
- LHP Wandy Peralta exercised two-year, $8.9MM player option (can opt out after ’26)
- Team exercised $6.5MM club option on LF Ramón Laureano
- Team declined $7MM mutual option on C Elias Díaz in favor of $2MM buyout
- Team declined $5MM club option on LHP Kyle Hart in favor of $500K buyout (later re-signed)
- Team declined $1MM club option on SS Tyler Wade in favor of $50K buyout
Notable Minor League Signings
- Jase Bowen, Sean Boyle, Walker Buehler, Omar Cruz, Ty France, Marco Gonzales, Blake Hunt, Triston McKenzie, Jose Miranda, Pablo Reyes, Carlos Rodríguez, Nick Schnell, Nick Solak, Samad Taylor, Alex Verdugo, Justin Yeager
Extensions
- None
Notable Losses
- Dylan Cease, Robert Suarez, Ryan O’Hearn, Luis Arraez, Jose Iglesias (still unsigned), Elias Díaz, Tyler Wade, Martín Maldonado (retired), Nestor Cortes (still unsigned), Sean Reynolds (non-tender)
The Padres’ offseason began in usual fashion. Immediately after being bounced by the Cubs in the Wild Card Series, San Diego faced questions about their leadership continuity. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller was headed into the final year of his contract. Manager Mike Shildt had led the team to consecutive playoff appearances, but that didn’t ensure he’d be back.
After initial reporting that the Padres planned to retain Shildt, he stepped down in the middle of October. Excellent reporting from Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune contextualized that decision. Acee’s column goes into detail about how Shildt’s managerial style wound up alienating many of his assistant coaches, while the 57-year-old skipper said he’d become worn down by the position. (Shildt would remain in baseball but in a lower-profile role by accepting a player development job with the Orioles six weeks later.)
This wasn’t quite the same situation as the Padres’ previous two managerial changes. The 2024 move to allow Bob Melvin to leave for the Giants reportedly stemmed from an acrimonious relationship between Melvin and Preller. Jayce Tingler’s ouster at the end of 2021 came after he’d seemingly lost the clubhouse amidst a second half collapse. In any case, the result was a fourth managerial hiring process in seven years — and a remarkable sixth full-time skipper during Preller’s lengthy run at the top of baseball operations.
Preller’s own contract status would linger over the offseason, but it was apparent early on that he’d be back for 2026 at least. The Padres conducted their managerial search throughout the postseason and into the first few days of the offseason. They settled on former reliever Craig Stammen, who had been in the organization’s player development department but had no coaching or managerial experience. It was an unexpected hire considering initial reporting suggested the likes of Ryan Flaherty, Nick Hundley, Ruben Niebla, and Albert Pujols were in the running.
San Diego kept the well-regarded Niebla on staff as pitching coach despite passing on him for the managerial vacancy. The Padres brought in Randy Knorr as bench coach and tabbed former outfielder Steven Souza Jr. as a first-time hitting coach. Stammen had ties to both men (Knorr as a coach, Souza as a teammate) from his time in the Nationals bullpen.
Once the manager was settled, the front office could turn its attention to the roster. They faced a handful of free agent losses. Dylan Cease and Robert Suarez obviously weren’t coming back. Cease was going to price himself out of San Diego, while the Padres had prepared for Suarez’s departure by trading for Mason Miller last summer.
The Padres had a number of option decisions. Most of them were obvious: Suarez’s opt-out, Michael King declining a mutual option, the team exercising a bargain $6.5MM option to keep left fielder Ramón Laureano. The club bought out depth starter Kyle Hart but quickly circled back on a cheaper one-year deal. They dropped Elias Díaz and Tyler Wade, while lefty reliever Wandy Peralta passed on the chance to opt out of the remaining two years and $8.9MM on his deal.
San Diego issued qualifying offers to Cease and King, both of which were expected. They opted not to make a QO to Luis Arraez, setting the stage for him to join the division rival Giants on a $12MM deal. Ryan O’Hearn was ineligible for a qualifying offer as a midseason trade pickup, not that the Padres would have given much thought to offering him a $22.025MM salary. O’Hearn’s production after the trade was just alright and it doesn’t seem like San Diego made much effort to bring him back before he signed a two-year deal with Pittsburgh.
Of their impactful free agents, King became the priority. Some of that was driven by a glaring need for rotation help beyond Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove, the latter of whom missed all of last season rehabbing Tommy John surgery. Although San Diego’s interest in re-signing King was natural, it came as a moderate surprise they got the deal done. The Padres have curtailed free agent spending since Peter Seidler’s 2023 passing. Even last offseason’s four-year, $55MM deal with Pivetta came late in the winter when the righty was amenable to a heavily backloaded contract with opt-outs after the second and third seasons.
The Padres were also facing some geographic disadvantages. King attended high school in Rhode Island, played collegiately at Boston College, and spent the first five seasons of his career with the Yankees. He said he entered the offseason preferring to land with an East Coast team. That changed when the Padres put forth a three-year, $75MM offer that included opt-out chances after the first and second seasons. King might’ve been able to land a bigger guarantee elsewhere, but he’s able to remain with a team he knows well with a chance to cash in next offseason.
King pitched at a borderline ace level during his first season in San Diego. He was out to an even stronger start to the ’25 campaign before encountering a troublesome nerve issue in his throwing shoulder. That shelved him for nearly three months, and he battled knee inflammation upon his late-season return. Although a fully healthy King is clearly one of the team’s three best starters, the Padres used him out of the bullpen in their playoff series.
It’s an upside play for pitcher and team alike. The Padres are hopefully paying King $22MM ($12MM signing bonus, $5MM salary, and a $5MM option buyout) for one excellent season. He’d be positioned to retest the market at age 32 without being attached to a qualifying offer. He’d likely try to max out the contract length and guarantee at that point.
Slotting King back into the #2 spot in the rotation is far more valuable to the Padres than the fourth round pick they would have received as compensation for his departure. They did land one compensatory draft choice when Cease signed his seven-year deal with the Blue Jays — a deal that shattered whatever the Padres would have been willing to offer.
Even with King in the fold, the rotation remained the roster’s biggest question. Yu Darvish missed a couple months last season with an elbow issue. He looked a shell of his former self when healthy enough to pitch, allowing a 5.38 ERA in 15 regular season starts (plus two runs on four hits in one playoff inning). There were early whispers that the 39-year-old Darvish could walk away from the remaining three years on his contract.
That may still be the case, but all that’s known for now is that the righty won’t be available in 2026. Darvish underwent an internal brace surgery to address UCL damage in his elbow. He made his most recent statement on his long-term future in January, saying that he and the team have had conversations about terminating his contract (presumably with some kind of deferral or buyout structure). He hasn’t made any decisions on retirement. Darvish is signed through his age-41 season for a combined $43MM: $15MM this year, followed by $14MM salaries in 2027-28.
The Padres poked around the market for a second significant rotation move. They reportedly made a three-year, $50MM offer to Merrill Kelly. He opted to return to Arizona on a two-year deal at a higher annual rate. The Padres were loosely tied to Framber Valdez as his free agency lingered but never seemed likely to make the money work.
They’ll round out the rotation with internal arms and reclamation projects. Randy Vásquez is expected to get the fourth starter role on the heels of a decent 2025 season. They added Griffin Canning on a $2.5MM deal after last June’s Achilles tear. Canning had posted a 3.77 ERA across 16 starts with the Mets before the injury. He’ll probably be on the injured list into May but should be locked into a rotation spot once he’s healthy.
San Diego signed longtime Rockies righty Germán Márquez to a $1.75MM contract to round out the staff until Canning returns. Márquez hasn’t been good since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. He’s coming off a near-7.00 ERA over 26 starts last season. He was bombed for a 7.32 mark outside Coors Field. The big league deal is less about projecting improved performance at normal altitude and more a flier on a fastball that still sits around 95 mph.
It’s a similar situation for Walker Buehler, who came aboard on a minor league contract. Buehler’s fastball sat around 94 mph last season, well down from the upper 90s heat he brought before undergoing his second Tommy John procedure in 2022. He’s in the 92 mph range this spring, though it’s common for pitchers to add a tick or two as they build up into game shape.
Buehler isn’t guaranteed a roster spot but could push Márquez for the fifth starter role. It’s also possible the Padres start Musgrove on the injured list to avoid pushing him too quickly, which would open another early-season rotation spot. The Padres tendered JP Sears a $2.75MM arbitration contract even though he was a non-factor after coming over in the Miller trade. He’s on the 40-man roster and likely starting the season in the minors. That’s also true of Hart and minor league signee Marco Gonzales, while they’ll face a decision on the out-of-options Matt Waldron once he’s back from the injured list.
The Padres understandably felt good about the bullpen despite losing Suarez. Miller is probably the best closer in MLB. Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon, David Morgan and Bradgley Rodriguez could all find themselves in setup roles. Peralta and Yuki Matsui are under contract as lefty middle relievers. San Diego’s only 40-man roster moves were depth fliers on Daison Acosta and Ty Adcock, both of whom will open the season in Triple-A.
There was more work to do on the position player side. The Padres have one of the most top-heavy offensive groups in the league. That isn’t going to change, but they made a few moves to deepen a lineup losing Arraez and O’Hearn.
The most notable was a four-year deal for KBO infielder Sung-mun Song. The 29-year-old has had an excellent last two seasons for the Kiwoom Heroes after a middling career until that point. Scouting reports project him as a utility player at the MLB level. That’s the role he’ll play in San Diego at a modest $2.8MM average annual value.
Song, a lefty hitter, has spent most of his career at second or third base. He’ll back up Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado at those respective positions. The Padres also planned to get him shortstop and outfield work this spring, though that’s been halted by some oblique trouble that seems likely to delay his team debut by a few weeks.
The Padres wanted to balance the lineup by adding a pair of veteran right-handed bats. San Diego signed lefty masher Miguel Andujar to a one-year, $4MM deal. He’s coming off an excellent .318/.352/.470 showing between the A’s and Reds. The market was nevertheless cold on him because of his lack of defensive value, injury history, and aggressive offensive approach.
Andujar will get the majority of the designated hitter work while backing up Laureano and Fernando Tatis Jr. in the corner outfield. The Padres wanted another righty hitter to platoon with Gavin Sheets at first base. Paul Goldschmidt would have been an ideal fit, but he declined an offer from San Diego to return to the Yankees. The Padres pivoted to Nick Castellanos after he was released by the Phillies.
The move comes at literally no cost financially. Castellanos is playing for the league minimum salary in San Diego (which the Padres would have paid to whoever else was taking that roster spot regardless). The Phillies are eating the rest of his $20MM salary. Castellanos should still be a decent power bat against lefty pitching. Any risk is in adding a player who had no first base experience until this spring and whose time in Philadelphia ended with a highly publicized rift with manager Rob Thomson.
The Padres opted not to make a move behind the plate, where they’ll rely on the Freddy Fermin/Luis Campusano pair. They don’t have clear backups behind Xander Bogaerts and Jackson Merrill at shortstop and in center field, respectively. They’d been hoping to get Song up to speed for that role by Opening Day. A season-opening injured list stint would create a spot for one of Will Wagner, Mason McCoy or minor league signee Ty France as a utility infielder. The out-of-options Bryce Johnson probably wins the fourth outfield role.
They could benefit from one more depth move in the final two weeks of Spring Training, but it doesn’t seem to be a priority. San Diego didn’t make a single waiver claim for a second straight offseason. They also didn’t make any trades despite Preller’s affinity for massive swings. There was a rumor out of the Winter Meetings about talks with the Mets concerning a potential blockbuster involving Miller, Pivetta and Laureano. There’s no indication that progressed, and the Padres stood pat from a trade perspective.
That surely won’t be the case this summer. The Padres mostly sat out last offseason’s trade activity as well before making three big deadline trades (Miller/Sears, Laureano/O’Hearn, and Fermin). If they’re in the running for a playoff spot, it’s in their nature to be aggressive. With Pivetta and King both able to opt out next winter, adding a controllable starting pitcher figures to be a priority. If the team underperforms, either or both veteran righties could be on the trade block themselves.
Preller will lead the deadline with long-term financial comfort. He and the organization finally reached agreement on a multi-year extension last month. That’s of particular importance given the likelihood of a major shakeup at the ownership level. In early February, the Seidler family resolved most of their litigation against one another. That paves the way for the family to move forward with a sale that could be in place as soon as Opening Day. The most recent reporting indicated they were weighing five offers and could pull north of $2.5 billion for the franchise.
The repercussions of a potential sale won’t really be felt until next offseason at the earliest. Last winter was a fairly typical Padres offseason, one they’ll hope was sufficient to maintain their status as the Dodgers’ top challenger in the NL West.
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Latest On Padres’ Rotation
The Padres entered camp with Nick Pivetta, Michael King and Joe Musgrove penciled into the top three rotation spots. They felt reasonably confident that Randy Vásquez would claim the fourth starter role. They took a volume approach to the fifth starter job, signing a handful of veterans to cheap free agent deals.
Musgrove is working back from a 2024 Tommy John surgery that wiped out all of last season. King was limited to 15 starts last year by a nerve issue in his shoulder and a knee injury. While King is pitching without any restrictions this spring, the Padres are playing things more cautiously with Musgrove. The righty last pitched in a game on March 4, when he threw 60 pitches in an exhibition game against the British World Baseball Classic team.
Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Musgrove has thrown one bullpen session within the past week. The Padres are understandably bringing him along slowly and haven’t announced when he’ll make his next game appearance. Both Acee and AJ Cassavell of MLB.com suggest he may not be fully built up by Opening Day.
A brief season-opening injured list stint wouldn’t necessarily represent a setback. The Padres will need to keep an eye on Musgrove’s workload over the course of the season. They have two off days within the first eight days of the regular season, meaning they could theoretically get by with a four-man rotation if Musgrove had a minimal IL stint. The likelier outcome is that they’d turn to one of their depth starters to fill out a five-man starting staff.
That could open an opportunity for Walker Buehler, who is in camp as a non-roster invite. If there’s only one rotation spot available, that’s likelier to go to Germán Márquez. Márquez signed a big league contract and is guaranteed $1.75MM. He’s going to make the team, and the Padres don’t have a ton of roster flexibility in the bullpen to carry him as a long reliever.
Buehler can opt out at the end of Spring Training if the Padres don’t add him to the roster. Buehler has made two starts this spring. He has allowed four runs in 6 2/3 innings with a solid 6:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Márquez has recorded five punchouts without a walk while allowing three runs across five frames. Marco Gonzales, in camp on a minor league deal, has given up five runs despite recording eight strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings. JP Sears is on the 40-man roster but has had a rough spring and has a minor league option remaining, so he’s probably ticketed for Triple-A El Paso regardless of Musgrove’s status.
Padres Outright Daison Acosta
The Padres announced they’ve outrighted pitcher Daison Acosta. The team hadn’t previously designated the right-hander for assignment. That opens a spot on their 40-man roster, which is now at 39. San Diego also reassigned catching prospect Ethan Salas to minor league camp.
Acosta, 27, has never pitched in the big leagues. He divided most of last season between the top two minor league levels in the Washington system. Acosta qualified for minor league free agency at year’s end. He impressed the Padres enough to command a big league contract and a 40-man spot throughout the offseason.
The Dominican-born reliever has not appeared in any Spring Training games. The Padres evidently placed him on waivers over the weekend. He went unclaimed and will remain in the organization. Acosta should begin the season with Triple-A El Paso. He struggled at that level last year, posting a 4.71 ERA while walking 15% of opponents. He had dominated Double-A opposition, firing 30 innings of 0.90 ERA ball with a strikeout rate above 40%.
It’s not clear if San Diego plans to replace Acosta on the 40-man roster in the coming days. They may simply have been confident that he’d clear waivers. The Padres already had essentially one free spot on the 40-man roster, as they can transfer Yu Darvish to the 60-day injured list as a corresponding move. They have a number of non-roster invitees battling for jobs, with righty Logan Gillaspie among those impressing the club in camp.
Salas received his first invitation to MLB camp this year. The 19-year-old obviously wasn’t under consideration for the Opening Day roster after spending most of last year in High-A. He went 2-9 with a trio of walks. He’ll likely begin the season at Double-A San Antonio.
Latest On Padres’ Bullpen Outlook
Padres right-hander Jason Adam has been targeting the Opening Day roster as he finished off his rehab from last year’s torn tendon in his quadriceps. The right-hander said three weeks back that team doctors hadn’t told him “no” on the possibility yet, and Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Adam could get back into games soon. He’s been ahead of schedule in camp and is slated for one final simulated game this week before a likely Cactus League debut on the weekend.
The 34-year-old Adam is a major piece of a deep San Diego bullpen. Over the past four seasons, he’s worked to a 2.07 ERA with 92 holds, 24 saves, a 29.2% strikeout rate and an 8.4% walk rate across 256 2/3 innings between the Rays and Padres. If healthy, he’d join Adrian Morejon and Jeremiah Estrada as one of closer Mason Miller‘s top setup options.
A healthy Adam also leads to a relatively crowded bullpen that could force the Friars into some tough decisions. Miller, Estrada, Morejon and Adam would be locks for bullpen spots. That’s presumably true of righty David Morgan (2.64 ERA, 47 1/3 innings in 2025) as well. Lefties Wandy Peralta and Yuki Matsui are pitching on multi-year contracts and can’t be optioned.
That group accounts for seven of the Padres’ eight bullpen spots. Right-hander Ron Marinaccio is out of minor league options. Right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez has multiple option years left but has excelled in camp after impressing in a brief look last year. Righty Matt Waldron might start the season on the injured list, but he’s out of minor league options as well and would need to be added to the big league roster or designated for assignment. Bryan Hoeing is shut down with an elbow issue right now.
Having more talented relievers than bullpen spots available is obviously a nice problem to have, all things considered, and depending on the injury timetables of Adam and a couple teammates, the Friars might be able to kick any 40-man decisions down the road a bit for the early portion of the season. At some point, something will have to give on one of the players who can’t be sent down (whether due to contract or lack of minor league options.
That’s especially true if the Padres want to consider breaking camp with any non-roster invitees on the big league club. Veterans Walker Buehler, Marco Gonzales and Triston McKenzie are among that group, but manager Craig Stammen has been talking up the chances of a different former big leaguer for a potential bullpen job: right-hander Logan Gillaspie.
“He just goes out there, competes his tail off, lot of energy and enthusiasm, throws a ton of strikes and gets a lot of outs,” manager Craig Stammen told MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell when asked about Gillaspie. He noted that Gillaspie could be used in a multi-inning role, providing some length early in games if necessary.
The 28-year-old Gillaspie has pitched in each of the past four major league seasons, including 18 innings for San Diego across the 2024-25 campaigns. He’s had pedestrian results overall, but Gillaspie is a familiar hand for many Padres coaches and is in the midst of a strong spring training (7 2/3 shutout frames, 8-to-2 K/BB ratio). Cassavell suggests that Gillaspie is viewed as having a real chance to make the club, particularly if the Padres open the season with multiple veterans on the injured list.
NL West Notes: Carroll, Kelly, France, Song
Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll emerged from his live batting practice session unscathed on Friday as he works his way back from a broken hamate bone. The two-time All-Star told reporters, including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, that he’s nearing a return to Spring Training action. Carroll added that he wants to get into 10 spring games.
Carroll is still less than a month removed from his February 11 surgery. He’d certainly be on the early end of the typical timeline to return from the procedure if he returns to the field soon. Manager Torey Lovullo pushed back a bit on Carroll’s outlook. “I respect Corbin’s drive and determination, that’s what makes him great. But in this case, the medical team is still in control of what’s going on,” Lovullo told reporters, including Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports.
If Carroll does get into Spring Training games, his power stroke will be something to watch. Hamate bone injuries tend to impact slugging, particularly early on. Carroll popped a career-high 31 home runs this past season. He boosted his hard-hit rate to 49.9%, exactly 9% higher than his previous best. Carroll more than doubled his barrel rate year-over-year, jumping from 7.2% in 2024 to 14.5% last year.
Merrill Kelly continues to make progress after a back issue threatened to place him on the IL to begin the 2026 campaign. The right-hander was scratched from a live batting practice session in late February and told reporters he was unlikely to be ready for the opener. His tone changed last weekend following a cortisone and lidocaine injection. He was able to play catch without issue, and recently came out of a bullpen session free of setbacks. Kelly is set for a live batting practice session on Sunday, Lovullo told reporters (h/t to Weiner again).
The injury set Kelly back a couple of weeks, but he’s now on track to break camp with the team and avoid the injured list. If Arizona slots him at the back of the rotation, his turn wouldn’t come up until March 31 against the Tigers. An off-day on March 29 could allow the Diamondbacks to push Kelly back even further, if they desired. Michael Soroka could step in as the fifth starter to give Kelly extra time to get ready.
Elsewhere in the division, Ty France is making a push to break camp with the Padres, notes Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The veteran infielder hit three balls at least 105 mph in Saturday’s Spring Training matchup against the Guardians. One went for a double, pushing France’s OPS to .944 this spring. “He needs to keep swinging like he did today,” manager Craig Stammen said. “If you can hit, we’ll find a place for you.”
Stammen added that the veteran would get more opportunities at second and third base. France has made a total of three appearances at second base over the past four big-league seasons. He hasn’t played the hot corner since 2022. The added defensive versatility would give him a leg up for a roster spot on a squad with several first base/DH options.
San Diego’s outfield is set with Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and Ramon Laureano, which pushes Gavin Sheets to first base. That leaves France to battle with Miguel Andujar, Nick Castellanos, and Jose Miranda for DH and potentially platoon work with the lefty-swinging Sheets. For his part, Miranda has matched France for the team lead in hits this spring at nine.
There could be another bench spot up for grabs depending on Sung-Mun Song’s recovery from an oblique injury. The former KBO standout dealt with a right oblique issue in the offseason, but came to camp healthy. He then felt renewed tightness in the oblique during a spring game on Thursday and had to be removed. Acee relayed that the team has been encouraged by Song’s progress since then. “They’re going to try to get him moving around here today,” Stammen said. “We’ll see when (he starts) swinging a bat.”
The club is hopeful Song will get back into Spring Training games at some point. A Cactus League appearance would put him on track to be ready for Opening Day. Stammen added that the outfield experiment is paused for now.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Padres Notes: Pivetta, Song, Cronenworth
The Padres are pushing Nick Pivetta’s scheduled start on Sunday back due to arm fatigue, reports Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. San Diego’s staff ace had been scheduled to throw a standard bullpen session this afternoon. That was also delayed, though Acee writes that Pivetta should throw a bullpen within a few days and could be back in game action next week.
There doesn’t seem to be any real concern. Pitchers are still building up arm strength at this stage of Spring Training. Pivetta also has one of the stronger durability track records of any pitcher in the league. Aside from illness, he has only gone on the injured list once in his MLB career — a month-long absence early in 2024 due to a flexor strain. He returned without issue and had the best season of his career for San Diego last year.
If the pause lasts more than a few days, it’s possible it’ll lead the Padres to reconsider the way they order their season-opening rotation. San Diego hasn’t announced who’ll take the ball against Tarik Skubal and the Tigers on March 26. Pivetta would be the obvious choice on the heels of a sixth-place Cy Young finish. He has made two starts this spring, building to 43 pitches on Tuesday. Michael King, Joe Musgrove and Randy Vásquez are expected to follow him in the rotation. There’s an open competition for the fifth starter role.
A more notable camp storyline is the health of utility player Sung-mun Song. The former KBO star tweaked his right oblique during offseason training. Song was cleared early in camp and has appeared in seven Spring Training games, batting .250 with one home run across 19 plate appearances. He felt renewed tightness in the oblique during Thursday’s game and was lifted after two at-bats.
Song didn’t play on Friday and is listed as day to day. Manager Craig Stammen told Acee the team will approach the situation with increased caution now that the oblique has flared up twice. He noted that it’s more general soreness than something that can be traced to one swing, which likely would have signified a more acute strain. Song’s status for Opening Day is nevertheless back in question. If he’s not available, Mason McCoy or Will Wagner could win a utility role.
A second/third baseman in Korea, Song was making his first professional start at shortstop in yesterday’s game. The Padres have also had him take outfield drills to build more defensive versatility. They’ll have Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado in the lineup most days at Song’s respective primary positions.
Cronenworth is out to a strong start in camp, batting .353 through his first 18 plate appearances. He connected on his first home run of exhibition play in Thursday’s 27-6 rout of the Mariners. AJ Cassavell of MLB.com notes that the longball came to left-center field. That’s not ordinarily noteworthy, but the lefty-hitting Cronenworth has never hit a regular season home run to the opposite field. He has 80 career longballs over six seasons, all of which have gone to the pull side.
One exhibition homer isn’t going to suddenly make Cronenworth an all-fields power threat. It came off a Double-A pitcher in a game where the wind was blowing out; the teams combined for 12 homers altogether. Still, it’s a positive indicator that aligns with some tweaks which Cronenworth made over the winter to his weight transfer and bat path. Cassavell chats with the veteran infielder and first-year hitting coach Steven Souza Jr. about the adjustments for a piece that Padres fans will want to give a full read.
Latest On Griffin Canning
Padres right-hander Griffin Canning is still recovering from last year’s ruptured left Achilles tendon and will start the 2026 season on the injured list. He is already throwing just fine but isn’t yet ready to field his position. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune says that a return in late April is possible but that May or June would be more likely.
Canning suffered his injury in June of last year with the Mets, with no specific timeline provided for his recovery. Similar injuries to other players have often led to absences of around a year. It was reported in January that Canning could be ready “around” Opening Day but that may have been a bit optimistic.
Even with the health question marks, the Padres felt comfortable giving Canning a major league deal with a $2.5MM guarantee, plus some potential incentives. He did look fairly sharp with the Mets last year, before the injury. Compared to his time with the Angels, he threw more cutters and sliders, with fewer four-seamers and knuckle curves.
He made 16 starts and logged 76 1/3 innings, allowing 3.77 earned runs per nine. His 21.3% strikeout rate and 10.7% walk rate were a bit worse than average but he generated grounders on 50.9% of balls in play. That figure was well above average and also far better than anything he had done previously, as he was actually more of a fly ball guy with the Halos.
The Padres will hope that he can carry some of that over into 2026, though they will have to wait for Canning to get healthy first. Michael King, Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta are the clear top three in the rotation. That leaves at least two open spots to start the year. The Padres also have some openness to a six-man rotation, which would mean jobs for three other starters.
Matt Waldron is also going to start the season on the IL after recently requiring a procedure to address a hemorrhoid. Yu Darvish will miss the entire 2026 season due to elbow surgery. Randy Vásquez and Germán Márquez are on the roster and are likely the favorites for the final two rotation spots. JP Sears is also on the roster but has options, so he will likely end up sent to Triple-A. Walker Buehler, Marco Gonzales and Triston McKenzie are in camp as non-roster invitees.
The Opening Day rotation will likely be temporary, with Canning set to take a spot when he returns. The decision of how to make room for Canning will depend on the health and performance of the other arms in the interim. Waldron will seemingly be back in the mix before Canning but he is out of options and posted a 7.71 ERA last year, so his return could lead to a tough decision for the Padres.
Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
How Will The Padres Round Out Their Rotation?
Barring injury, the Padres will open the season with an established top three in their rotation. Nick Pivetta, Michael King and Joe Musgrove have the upside to be one of the best top halves in the National League.
Musgrove is coming back from Tommy John surgery, while King was limited to 74 1/3 innings last year (playoffs included) by a nerve issue in his shoulder and left knee inflammation. They’re free of any restrictions this spring. Musgrove will make his exhibition debut tomorrow against Great Britain in a World Baseball Classic tune-up. King has already started two games this spring.
The picture is a lot less clear from there. Yu Darvish will miss the entire season. Free agent pickup Griffin Canning has yet to pitch this spring as he works back from last June’s Achilles tear. He’s very likely starting the season on the injured list.
That’s also true of knuckleballer Matt Waldron, though it could be close to a minimal IL stay for the right-hander. Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune wrote yesterday that Waldron plans to throw off a mound this week and is hopeful of getting a start in before the end of Cactus League play. He won’t be built up enough to start the season on the active roster, however. Waldron is out of options, so the Padres will need to carve out an MLB spot for him once he’s ready or risk losing him via trade or waivers.
That all but ensures that Randy Vásquez will get a season-opening rotation spot. Manager Craig Stammen said at the beginning of camp that the righty had a leg up on a job. Vásquez is out options and needed to make the team in some capacity. He outperformed mediocre peripherals for most of last season but improved his strikeout rate to a league average level in September. He finished last season with a 3.86 ERA across 133 2/3 innings.
It probably leaves the Padres will one spot to fill. The front office has taken a volume approach to the back of the roster, adding a handful of veterans on cheap one-year deals or minor league contracts to see who sticks. They added enough options that it’s not out of the question they open with a six-man rotation.
Pitching coach Ruben Niebla left open that possibility over the weekend, although he implied they preferred a five-man group (link via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com). Niebla said the team is preparing the starters on a usual five-day routine. If multiple depth arms pitch their way onto the roster, they could go to a six-man staff, but that requires dropping to a seven-man bullpen.
If there’s only one spot available, Germán Márquez enters camp as the favorite. The former Rockies righty signed a $1.75MM deal in mid-February. His spot on the MLB roster feels secure, which isn’t the case for non-roster invitees Walker Buehler or Marco Gonzales. Márquez could theoretically pitch in long relief if one of Buehler or Gonzales beats him for the fifth starter role. That scenario (or a six-man rotation) probably wouldn’t bode well for out-of-options reliever Ron Marinaccio’s bid to stick on the roster.
Lefty JP Sears is also in the rotation mix, though San Diego’s series of veteran additions means it’s likelier he’s headed back to Triple-A. Sears was hit hard in five MLB starts after being acquired from the A’s in the Mason Miller trade. He still has a minor league option remaining.
Sears also hasn’t an especially encouraging start to camp, giving up five runs on seven hits (including two homers) across 3 2/3 innings. Márquez allowed three runs on four hits over two innings in his exhibition debut over the weekend. Gonzales, who missed all of last season rehabbing flexor surgery, has given up five runs across 4 2/3 frames over two spring starts. Buehler hasn’t pitched in an official Spring Training game but took on the KBO’s NC Dinos in an outing on the back fields over the weekend, giving up two runs over three innings.