The Padres have made no secret of their desire to add another starter and one more complementary bat before Opening Day. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller reiterated those goals from Spring Training (link via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com).
There are still a handful of free agent starters who could make an impact (e.g. Zac Gallen, Lucas Giolito, Zack Littell, Griffin Canning). San Diego seems to be working with tight payroll restrictions, however. That could point to a reclamation candidate like Walker Buehler or Germán Márquez if they address that via free agency.
Dennis Lin of The Athletic suggests the Padres could be more inclined to add a starter via trade. That’s easier said than done at this stage of the calendar. All but a handful of teams are entering the season with some hope of contending. Pitching injuries will pile up as exhibition games get underway and there’ll be fewer opportunities for those clubs to backfill the rotation if they trade a starter.
Speculatively, there could be a match with the rebuilding Nationals for a cheap sixth starter like Mitchell Parker or Jake Irvin — each of whom has been durable but pitched better in 2024 than they did a year ago. Andre Pallante falls into a similar category with the Cardinals. They’re not especially exciting but have minor league options and a track record of taking a lot of innings.
The Royals have gotten hits on some of their depth starters as they looked for outfield help. The Padres would be hard pressed to replace Ramón Laureano and obviously aren’t trading Fernando Tatis Jr. or Jackson Merrill. Unless the Royals want to take a flier on Tirso Ornelas, that’s a difficult match. The Mets entertained moving David Peterson and Kodai Senga at times this winter, but their salaries could be an issue for the Padres.
Teams are loath to trade affordable pitchers who have the upside to be more than fifth or sixth starters. The Padres have a lot of star talent but don’t have an especially deep major league roster, which makes it difficult to trade for an average starter without dealing too big a hit to a different area. The exception could be in the bullpen, where any of Jeremiah Estrada, David Morgan or Bradgley Rodriguez would be compelling trade chips if the Padres felt they could weather a subtraction.
As it stands, San Diego will open the season with a top three of Nick Pivetta, Michael King and Joe Musgrove. Right-hander Randy Vásquez had a decent 3.84 ERA last year despite posting one of the league’s lowest strikeout rates (13.7%). Vásquez had a more impressive September, striking out 21% of opponents against a 3.4% walk rate in his last five appearances. First-year skipper Craig Stammen pointed to the strong finish in noting that the 27-year-old righty had “the inside track” to a season-opening rotation spot this week (separate MLB.com link via Cassavell).
If the Padres add another starter, that’d position Vásquez as the favorite to round out the group ahead of JP Sears, Kyle Hart and non-roster invitees Marco Gonzales and Triston McKenzie. Vásquez is out of options, so he’ll be on the MLB roster in some capacity. Sears and Hart can freely be sent back to Triple-A for another year. Knuckleballer Matt Waldron is out of options but coming off a 6.48 ERA over 21 starts in Triple-A. He’ll have an uphill battle to holding a roster spot even with a strong performance this spring.
Though the Padres are also looking to round out their bench with another bat, it appears they’re unlikely to make a move at catcher. Preller said that while the front office explored the catching market over the offseason, they didn’t find any opportunities they considered to be an upgrade over the in-house pairing of Freddy Fermin and Luis Campusano. “Ultimately, I think we looked at the value of the players we have as behind the plate and catching, making that as good a group as we can have,” Preller told reporters. “Go find some other value throughout other position player additions.”
Fermin doesn’t have much offensive upside but is a highly-regarded defender. He’ll be the primary catcher. Campusano has defensive questions but raked last year in Triple-A. The Padres didn’t seem to trust him defensively, keeping him in the minors while running out Elias Díaz and Martín Maldonado until they acquired Fermin at the deadline. They opted not to trade Campusano this offseason, though, and they’re evidently content to carry him as a bat-first backup now that he can no longer be optioned. They don’t have any other catchers on the 40-man roster, nor has any minor league catcher in the organization played a single MLB game.
Preller also addressed his own contract status on Thursday. He’s entering the final year of his deal and hasn’t come to terms on an extension. That’ll continue to be a question until an agreement is reached, though the longtime executive downplayed any concern.
“Either way, I’m under contract,” he told Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune and other members of the beat. “So it’s all about putting a team on the field that’s going to win. We still (have) a lot of work to do in terms of continuing to round out the roster. That continues to be the focus.” Acee writes that it’s still generally expected that a deal will get done — perhaps as early as Monday’s report date for the team’s position players.
They just need the testicular fortitude to send a knuckleballer out there every 5th day.
They have one, Waldron, and have used him the last couple of years. Originally it worked, not so much lately…..
The Red Sox still have like 32 SP.
But the Pads have nothing the Sox can use.
Probably, but the Sox could really use a good LH reliever like Morejon if the Padres were willing to trade him. I think he’s in his last year of team control so maybe they’d deal him for a starter.
They aren’t gonna trade morejon. Look at what the padres got from their starters a year ago. Not much.
Darvish was hurt most of the year and had a 5+ era.
King was great for 11 starts then basically didn’t pitch or wasn’t effective.
Musgrove missed the entire season.
Cease pitched all year but to a mid 4’s era.
Vasquez pitched most of the season and era was pretty good. Though secondary numbers said it shouldn’t have been. Though some hope to finish the year.
Pivetta pitched great all year.
They had some call up/fill in guys who pitched fairly well.
The pen carried the pitching staff and should be excellent again this season. When they get a lead after 4-5 innings the pen came in a finished games.
Pitching wise with the return of king, Pivetta, Musgrove and Vasquez if healthy are as good as last season. Adding one more for depth or better should give the padres an overall good pitching staff. Starters aren’t gonna rival the top rotations in the league. The pen on the other hand will.
Position players wise they could use one more right handed bat at 1b/dh. Perhaps even a DH/LF if Miguel can handle playing some first.
The team is pretty close to being a well rounded team. Just need to add a starter and one bat that are decent.
Tell me they couldn’t use one of those relievers. Estrada, for example. Not saying that Boston should move Tolle for him but I’m sure they could figure something out.
Wonder what it would take to get Bello. He currently slots at their #4. Or maybe Crawford, who is just outside their top 5.
For Bello, it’s an All-Star bat. For Crawford, maybe 2 or 3 mid prospects.
How about Matsui, and Morgan, and a minor leaguer for Tolle and a lotto ticket?
Wow….SMH just no. Tolle is likely in the top ten pitching prospects in all of baseball. And you want him for the equivalent of a glow stick and an antenna ball.
The biggest of passes on bell then lol.
Max Scberzer is available
Listening to the press conference I heard nothing said about the team being under “tight payroll restrictions”. I heard him say they had a budget, my business does too, but not once that the Padres couldn’t sign a FA because of cost. With their payroll already about where it was last season and Preller consistently talking about adding more players, its obvious that all the talk of a financial crunch is bunk.
I also heard him say that the Padres were looking to add another bat. I wonder who they might be able to pick up at this point and would it just be a bench piece and since they really don’t have a back up for Bogaerts would that be the position they would want to fill?
H/T to Web for the info on Marty Caswell’s Youtube account so I could listen to the entire press conference
It’s tough to tell how much budget they have left. They were reportedly in on Valdez and are in on Gallen. Means they have some money left. Perhaps to do another small amount upfront with a backloaded deal. Likely with an option and a decent sized buyout. Which most of these pitchers left will likely be looking for.
They have potentially a decent amount of money coming off the books next season with Pivetta and kings opt outs. Plus Laureano, Adam and morejon, Miguel becoming free agents. So they can afford to push some money on a deal that pays more next season. Question is are players willing to take more money next year with the pending lockout.
I can’t believe nobody has signed Zack Littell yet. Maybe $15-$20 mil per year? He’s only 30, which surprised me thought he’d be older. He’s had a nice 2-3 year run since becoming a full time SP
Someone will prob in the next week or so.
He is a pretty good fit for the padres. Also has not draft picks attached to signing him.
oh – I was saying the exact same thing earlier this week.
It’s the 17% K rate that has turned off many teams.
Yeah he is a good 4th starter in a good rotation. Just gives you good innings. Prob aren’t looking for him to start in a wild card series.
If he can give you a 4 or lower era over 160+ innings that’s a valuable starter. K’s are sexy but getting outs is the bar of the game.
WHIP had a nice drop from 24-25(1.247-1.104). Yet FIP didn’t like his 25 because he had fewer Ks but I’ll take less guys on base instead of more strikeouts
Just doesn’t look particularly sustainable. He’s below league average in hard hit rate, homer prone, and doesn’t strike anyone out. He is an elite strike thrower. Very similar style to Sugano. He’s a better version but I think he’s closer to his Cincy ERA. I think he only gets one year for around $10MM.
Wondering why they traded for JP Sears who was basically league average when he started for the Athletics.
Because league avg depth guys have value. Especially ones that have options.
Agreed, They have more value when they are starting rather than an expensive option who doesn’t project to be any better.
Depth piece for the run last year while grabbing Miller. Notihing more, nothing less.
Well, because of times like this. Experienced starters, no matter the quality, are always good to have. Its why a player like Bassitt who is dependable but average, and 37 years old, gets $18.5 million.
I said it at the time and many times since, but those Bogaerts and Machado contracts are going to cripple this team for a long time. And then Preller goes and trades De Vries who could potentially give you years of extremely affordable production for a luxury, not a necessity, in Mason Miller. This is very poor decision making IMO. It’s like the Padres are a 7 year old kid who just have to have the shiny new toy no matter the cost!
Well one there is no guarantee that DeVries pans out.
Two to what you said, those other deals may strain the team down the road. So trying to win now before they age out makes sense. DeVries wouldn’t be able to help the team still for a couple of years.
Lastly the longer term outlook will be in the hands of whoever buys the team. If it’s a big money guy who is willing to spend then they will be fine. If it’s a cheap money pincher they are gonna be making some tough decisions. Manny and Xander likely have 2-3 serviceable or better years left in them before age becomes a major factor. If they end up having to rebuild they will still have 3 major trade chips in Tatis, Merrill and Miller. Padres will be an interesting team to monitor over the next few years.
Manny is producing what his contract asks of him. It wont be worth it for the last 3-4 years, but thats what people were doing at the time. Judge, Harper, Turner, etc, you overpay for their last 5 years to get the all-star production in the first 5 years. Bogey on the other hand, is perplexing. Literally signed with the Pads and fell off a cliff.
As for DeVries, meh, who cares. They always rebuild the farm. Prospects should almost always be used as trade bait anyway.
Bogey’s numbers his first year with the Padres were almost his exact career averages..then he got hurt.
Wouldn’t be surprised to see him back to his usual .285/20/80 self this season.
Preller is the guy who traded a 23 yo Trea Turner!
A dominant Closer for a playoff team is not a luxury….it’s a necessity…esp when you’re letting your current Closer leave for Free Agency.
Deals for Miller,Fermin and Laureano were with 2026 in mind also
Miller is very valuable.
Padres can run him out there for3 years and then cash him in for a truckload of talent.
FA in 2030.
Padres traded for and drafted a few SSs internationally who could replace De Vries.
Simm – Jackson is only 22, how long do you think a rebuild would go on? Typically it’s 3-4 years when the farm system is as bad as SD’s right now, therefore trading him wouldn’t make sense.
Depends on the return. Maybe it shortens the window of the rebuild with multiple positions filled. If not, your point is valid though. And he wouldn’t be 22 when that trade would occur – 24 maybe because they are competing for the next 2-3 years with what they have.
I agree but if it’s a full rebuild with a depleted farm. To go with aging contracts that aren’t allowing you to spend. Then it comes down to the possibility of trading high valued assets to speed up the rebuild process.
Now you can also keep guys like Tatis and Merrill who are signed long term. Rebuild around them while building up the farm and having manny’s and Xanders contracts expiring. Just depends on the direction. You can make a strong case for either option. Of course the best option is having an owner that can build around the aging manny and Xander.
Lol, hes built a perennial playoff team in a small market, continues to rebuild a farm that every 2-3 years everyone covets, and was doing what a dying owner wanted and threw out a couple big contracts. If he got released he would be pursued by 20 other teams in the league.
Padres farm system is underated.
They restock it every year in regular MLB draft and international draft.
I do agree it’s underrated and has been restocked some after being nearly depleted. I do however worry about Salas at the top who is at least a year way if not more after losing last year due to back issues – not good for a young kid in the C role having serious back issues.
Also, SP prospects are 2-4 years away. Yet a couple of top arms but just not close.
A couple of bats but, a long ways away.
So the talent is there but it’s so far away that a lower ranking isn’t really unjustified – along with the fall of Salas due to injury:
By mid-season rankings there might be some love coming SD way for the farm.
And, many Front Offices respect the Padres ability to find and develop talent including starters and bullpen.
Padres won’t have any trouble making trades to fortify their roster with teams would would love to get some of that rookie league and A ball talent into their pipeline.
I think they need at least 1 year before they can be traded?
It makes perfect sense that Preller has not yet been extended – he has made many questionable moves, has often overspent, and he has a great deal to prove.
It’s doesn’t seem to be if the owners want to extend him. They have said they want to. It’s a matter of lining up on value. Think preller is looking for a high end deal that may even include part ownership. I say that because that’s what the ceo got not long ago.
If it was just here is a 2-3 year extension at some mid rate he likely could have signed that by now. He seems content with waiting it out to get what he wants.
It’s about winning which the padres have been pretty good the last 6 seasons. It’s also about being in the entertainment business. Preller is brings additional entertainment factor with his gun slinger mentality.
Lastly it’s important to factor in his ability to find prospects. Nobody really questions his ability in that regard.
Or it may have nothing to do with that. It’s more likely that AJ knows a dozen other teams would jump at him and he wants to see what the new ownership might be like before signing up for a long term contract.
He has seen both sides of the SD history. He won’t go to a team with no interest in trading prospects and making moves. Why would he stay with one if the new ownership is like that.
I suppose but he said yesterday that the new ownership situation isn’t a big factor on his possible extension.
I do think he isn’t just signing any deal because he feels like he can land another job if it comes to that.
And the pending big time Faa says, “I’d love to stay here” right before he starts considering offers from 10 other teams and almost always leaves for greener pastures.
AJ saying the right things is expected. You sure can’t burn your bridges because I’d bet he loves it with SD (weather if nothing else) and is hoping for a positive change in ownership that wants him back.
Then if not, sure we both said it – he can get a job somewhere else so, no risk on his side.
Preller would have a job in a week if the Pads part ways. He’s an elite amateur evaluator who uses a large majority of those prospects as trade capital.
He had some ugly deals early in his career but he’s largely done well in those trades after the Nola error.
With Ty France failing after a couple of good years, the trade isn’t as bad as it once seemed. As for Nola, he was one of the top hitting C’s at the time of the trade – the best available for sure so, can’t really blame the GM if he fails to continue the success the rest of the year. He made the trade for “right now” with the star piece being injured with a question mark. Like any trade, if you send 4-5 prospects, it’s a fair chance one of them pans out but it will be down the road and they just is the way it goes. He replaced those guys traded away very quickly.
The Padres need to define their mission at this point. When they allowed Preller a bankroll and he was making trades like his life depended on it, it was clear that ownership was on a mission to win championships. Now, it looks and feels like a boat in deep waters with a slow leak, no wind, and no life jackets.
Or another perspective is a “steady as she goes” approach. Not rocking the boat, not a sinking ship, not full speed ahead.
SD has a competitive team. No reason to think it’s sinking just because a WS hasn’t materialized. Any team not LA is in the same boat over the past couple of years.
I like a good seafaring reference. Fair winds and following seas my friend. Go Navy, best Army!
Should have taken a chance on a guy in rule 5
Hayden Mullins LHP Red Sox
Blake Holub RHP Brewers
Grant Kipp RHP Cubs
Would have been my suggestions but any arm would have done. How they acquired Diaz Perdomo and Kolek in recent memory
Hell should have traded some middling prospects for a couple other teams rule 5 pick, like they did with Torrens Cordoba and Diaz in the same rule 5 draft, and taken a couple other arms
Worst case scenario is you just return them to the original team and you’re out nothing with your own pick and out a low level prospect if you trade for others rule 5 pick.
I’d rather see what a rule 5 could do that Waldron Hart and Sears
Alternatively, if you take some rule 5 guys you could also stash them in the pen which makes trading a Morejon or Estrada Morgan Rodriguez for a starter more palatable knowing you have immediate replacements
Rule 5 guys are not going to be replacements for those guys.
The padres have around 12 relievers who are capable of being on the team this year. They are very deep in relief options
And that is why they couldn’t do Rule 5 for a guy this year. No place to hide him like those guys in past years.
There literally is not a substandard member in the BP or guys waiting to be in BP.
So you take them try them out and return them. Costs you nothing literally nothing lmao it’s essentially a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training
And you know this how? Crystal ball?
Jason Adam didn’t figure things out till 30
Suarez came from Japan
Estrada was let go by the cubs
Kolek was a rule 5 guy they turned into a solid addition
Dan Morgan wasn’t even drafted
But sure you know rule 5 guys wouldn’t have made it in the pen if they wound up dealing other guys. When’s the last time you won the lotto again?
Don’t they require a 40 man spot? If you have tj drop a guy you already know about for a flyer on a A ball guy?
It isn’t as simple as you make it for a team that is competitive. It works well for a team that has spots available on 40 and active roster that can hide a guy for year and then send him down.
Add to it that the success stories are far outweighed by the returns.
If you don’t have a spot available you can’t pick.
League – but why risk trading a know. Successful commodity at mlb level for a guy you think “well, we can just send him back if he doesn’t workout”?
SD has a full BP of guys right now that perform at least “good” at mlb level for a few years.
And coming from Japan is far from being a 19-20 A ball guy that has never made it to AA even because the guy coming from Japan has proven they he has figured it out.
Padres had how many 40 man spots this off season? And still have open spots lmao so that retort didn’t hold water
If we are seriously talking about giving Tirso Ornelas, Mason McCoy, and non-roster invitees a roster spot we could have given 1 or 2 or 3 to a rule 5 pitcher easily
1. Why trade? Same reason you trade anyone else. You take an area of strength ideally and trade from it to improve a lesser area. In this case area of strength being bullpen and area of weakness being rotation
2. Bullpen and rotation are always in high demand comparative to other positions.
3. Just cause you come from Japan doesn’t mean you figured it out. Means you succeeded at essentially AAA level and a teams giving you a chance to prove you can perform at the mlb level, same as every other AAA guy that’s stashed down there for depth purposes. History of success in AAA, hoping it translates to mlb.
Those roster spots to fringe or below players like McCoy are needed for depth at those positions. The padres have a ton of relief pitchers on their 40 man. You do need other positions on your 40 man.
As it is the padres have quality relief pitchers on their 40 man that are out of options.
Simm, I guess we are just expecting League to bring fantasy league team management to the MLB. Make a click and a trade happens. Make another click and get another player you want.
McCoy can sit in AAA Without a 40 man spot like he’s done his entire career. If you remove him he’s outrighted. Hes been outrighted before. Saying he’s needed for depth purposes isn’t true at all cause there’s 0 risk in losing a glove first 30+ utility guy.
And if you rather give .136 a roster spot than a young arm you can hopefully find cheap control over well I see why you’re here
Picking up a guy for free off the rule 5 cost the padres absolutely nothing. Worst case scenario you DFA him and return him to his original team. Thats it
If you’re supporting giving a 30 year glove first .136 hitter in Mason McCoy a roster spot cause “depth” instead of DFA, outrighting him to AAA which he’s been through before, in favor of trying out a young controllable arm where padres need pitching more than defense I can see why nobody takes you seriously on here and you’re often the butt of many jokes
It’s cost a roster spot. Which isn’t nothing.
If there are so many guess that should go in the rule 5 draft why do most teams pass?
Padres have been one of the more successful rule 5 draft teams. So I’m sure if they saw someone worth it they would have taken them.
“Oh no we might lose .136 McCoy if we DFA him!”
Lmao you’re seriously concerned about that more than rotation help?
You’d rather keep McCoy than try someone out to prevent hart Waldron sears from being a starter
Amazing short sightedness
Once again they weren’t gonna get some starter better than Sears in the rule 5 draft. They don’t have the space to carry a rule 5 guy in the pen when they have so many good arms.
If they wanted to trade a pen arm they could. Heck it’s likely they will have to because of of players with zero options left.
Not sure why you are pushing this rule 5 stuff so much. The padres passed just like many others did. Why because they didn’t see a guy that was worth taking a chance on. Padres are still gonna add a couple more players to their 40 man. Some of the current ones will need to be dropped.
But how do you KNOW McCoy clears and goes to AAA?
He is the backup SS depth. Backup SS depth on this SD team is more important than a flyer on a Rule 5 A ball guy.
Oh, any you are here so, I hope we aren’t keeping you from your real GM job!
Why is it “free”
There is a fee to pay.
There is a guy to lose off the roster.
It isn’t “free”.
Oh, I don’t know, why not keep the backup depth SS and since we are competitive, go for Bassitt or Gallen or even a proven mlb on a bounce back.
What is your love for unproven minor league pitchers that other teams didn’t even see the need to protect?
Again I love your ability to see the future.
Maybe Mason McCoy will provide value this year if you’re fortune telling abilities are legit
How else can you explain carrying water as hard as you are for Mason McCoy
He’s cleared before at younger ages. See as you age you don’t get better you get worse. Your skills diminish and reflexes get slower. I’m using historical data to back up my arguments
You’re using feelings and fortune telling
Free to keep them
25k to return them. For a team that’s spending 240 million dollars 0.01% of your total spending obviously is too much for you
Back up depth lmao you can find plenty of glove first no offense players in the minors. Younger ones too.
Bassit just cost 18 million dollars
Gallen will cost 13-20 million in today’s market
What’s my obsession over hoping to find a cheap, 6+ years of control, starting pitcher that we can use the next 6 years given the uncertainty around pitching staff long term? Yeah that’s a hard one to figure out.
Why would I like to take chances on guys in their early mid 20s for free instead of keeping 30 year old glove first no offense utility players? Another one that’s hard to figure out.
Teams unprotect players all the time whether it’s rule 5 draft or you trade them to other teams. Suddenly hoping to get a free cost controlled starting pitcher making league minimum that hasn’t hit pre arb or arb is a bad thing and a no no lmao
TLDR: CHEAP CONTROLLED STARTING PITCHING FOR FREE
Last point – did any team draft any of your 3 guys?
Only 13 total picks made at the mlb level.
All but 3 were on non-contending teams.
Maybe they know more than you.
Last point- your obsession with of all players Mason McCoy is weird sad and exactly why nobody takes you seriously. Mason McCoy HA wasted your time defending a silly argument that padres should carry a 30 year old .136 utility guy instead of trying to find young cheap cost controlled pitchers. No wonder padres will never come close to beating the dodgers. Fans supporting stupid decisions is why padres continue to make stupid decisions.
The chances of a rule 5 pitcher making the rotation or pen is just stupid.
“Mason McCoy you’re our only hope”
Another year another bridesmaid never the bride finish for the padres
Who cares about McCoy, he doesn’t pitch. A rule 5 pitcher wasn’t making the 26 man. Heck some actually good mlb pitchers may not make the team.
Your obsession with a rule 5 guy making a difference just makes you look stupid.
“Who needs pitching when .136 McCoy is gonna become the next babe Ruth at 30”
Well hopefully padres haven’t printed any NLCS or World Series tickets yet.
Just curious, how much does infield defense matter when Sears Waldron Hart give up 2-3 run blasts?
We know what McCoy is gonna do
We have no clue what a rule 5 guy would have done. Cause not taking chances even free chances to improve your biggest area of need is why padres will never win anything
“Here’s a free lotto ticket”
Nope Simm and LongTimeComing would never accept a free lotto ticket they’d rather pay for expired milk cause it’s a wiser investment
Free – dude it costs $100,000 to take a flyer and a 26 man spot.
What “free”.
13 guys were picked all total by all teams.
Why your fixation on SD?
No team thought it was a good idea to select your 3 guys.
Not 1 team and not 1 guy.
Instead of spending time here why not go on ESPN and criticize all 30 teams. Send a letter to all GM’s and tell them how stupid they are.
Trolls gotta troll.
“They’ll never make it”!
Shane Smith did last year for the white Sox
Kolek did it the year prior
Gus Varland year prior
Caleb Boushley before that
Garret Whitlock before that Tyler Wells too
“It’s not free!!
Lmao paying what is the equivalent of less than a penny compared to your payroll is free as it gets. They’re paying 0.004 cents compared to active payroll obligations. Math is hard for people
Dude do I need to list the number of relievers the padres have on the 40 man. They will not all make the team and some of them are good that are out of options.
The chances of a rule 5 guy making the rotation is near zero. Then they would have to make the pen. There is a zero percent chance a rule 5 guy beats out one of the 8 pen options. The padres have the best pen in baseball. Thereby making taking a rule 5 pitcher dumb. You have to have minor league position player depth. Even if you think it’s not great, pitchers can fill those spots.
I’ve never seen someone so obsessed with a role 5 draft pick, ones that every team passed on.
Padres definitely need to figure out their rotation issues before LongTimeComing becomes LongDeadAndGone. I’d like to see my team win it all before my days are up as well.
I’d like to see them give Walker Buehler a try. But I had no idea the Padres may be working with tight payroll restrictions??? Never heard that before! (sarcasm)
Now – I’d sign Littell before I sign Buehler.
Based on 2025 I’d rather have Littell all things being equal. If Yu retires, that might happen.
I’m thinking a reclamation project is more likely.
Márquez would be my choice hope to recapture what he had going with COL plus didn’t bud black sign on as an advisor or something? So familiarity is there
All right!!! Let’s see how it goes!
The piece to move is Estrada if they can get a young, pre arb, sp with upside.
RP is in high demand right now and the pads can afford to part with him. Would be the first or second best reliever in half of league.
Ferrer for Harry ford trade is the template, except Estrada is better.
Preller has not been extended because the San Diego Padres team is for sale.
The Seidler family have dismissed lawsuits against each other to clear then way for a quick sale.
Asking price is over 3B.
4 Billionaire Groups, so far, are bidding for the team:
1)Golden State Warriors Owner Joe Lacob is one of the bidders.
He purchased the Warriors and built
Their current dynastic run of Championships headlined by Steph Curry.
2)San Diego born Dan Friedkan
Owner of AS Roma (Pro Soccer Rome, Italy)AND
Everton(Pro Soccer Liverpool, England)
3) Jose E Feliciano Owner of Clearlake Capital AND
Owner of Chelsea FC Pro Soccer
London, England)
4) Asian/South Korean Consortium
With very “deep pockets”.
When that Padres Sale/Deal is Completed,
Then, The Padres,suddenly, level
the Financial Playing Field
With Their NL West Neighbors/Rivals
North up the I-5 the LA Dodgers.
Dumpster diving season hasn’t started yet for SD. Preller will be looking for some more Gurriel’s, Maldonado’s and Heyward’s to go along with Johnson, Song, McCoy and Wagner in a couple of weeks. Minor league contracts for the washed up.
Unless you’re Mets Dodgers Yankees you kind of need to hit on cheap contracts here and there.
I’d rather them bring back Iglesias than McCoy to be the RH utility option. They could use another bench bat to platoon at 1st with Sheets, old friend Ty France perhaps?
SP wise maybe a Jeremiah Estrada to DET for someone like Casey Mize who’s on 1 year and Ty Madden
I misread Jeremiah’s eligibility
Anyways he’s free agent eligible for 2030
So say
Mize SP for 1 year Padres can QO
Madden SP
Max Anderson 2B/3B
Jake Miller or Dylan Smith RPs
Tigers are not trading Mize.
One of their top starters, Reese Olson, just have season ending shoulder surgery.
The signed Verlander and Framber Valdez, but they still need
depth to counter injuries.
Their bullpen is very good and they added Kenley Jansen.
The Padres could use another starter plus at least one more bat.
Tigers could use a few bats also.
Mize is a 3 at best. And a free agent at seasons end
Tigers have the depth to deal him and acquire a long term pen piece like Estrada
Outside of Mize they still have
Verlander Flahety Valdez Skubal Melton with Anderson Vanasco and others in aaa
No one is trading a SP for a reliever in February.
Adam, Matsui and Haynes to Toronto for Lauer and Lukes.
Has Preller ever traded back for a player he traded away besides the Colin Rea thing?
Don’t know. But like this proposed trade over what he has done today.
The two pitcher signings were aight. Don’t see the point in Castellanos considering both he and Andujar have no business playing the field and both bat right handed but at the league minimum it’s hard to demand too much.
Both pitchers are dumpster dives. Should be on minors contracts. Waiting for the Yuli Gurriel and Jason Heyward signings to be announced.
Better not extend Preller. Especially with the team under sale.