As the 2026 MLB trade deadline approaches, the San Diego Padres find themselves in a position of being both buyers and sellers.

With some major league resources that can be moved, the Padres are in desperate need of starting pitching. General manager A.J. Preller has made some deals with the Seattle Mariners; now, more than ever, there is a deal in sight to help both teams.

Reports around baseball have been that Emerson Hancock will be traded before the deadline.

The Mariners are also said to be shopping starting pitcher Luis Castillo. Although Castillo comes with a hefty price, $34 million in 2027 and a $25 million option in 2028 if he reaches 180 innings in 2027, Seattle is willing to eat some of that contract. Seattle has had a clear need for a legitimate right-handed bat for their lefty-heavy lineup, as well as a reliever (or a few) with strikeout stuff.

These are two areas where the Padres can get very creative.

Filling The Rotation 

The Padres’ need for starting pitching has been very well documented.

At this point in the season, the Padres’ offense has become very good since mid-June. Over the last month of play, San Diego’s offense has ranked high in several stats thanks to stars Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill returning to form. The pitching has kept the team from reaching bigger heights.

Emerson Hancock would provide the Padres a pitcher with an ace-like stuff who is controllable and doesn’t enter arbitration until 2028. With an ERA+ of 125, Hancock may be the best controllable starting pitcher on the market. While Luis Castillo is no longer in his prime, what he does provide is a raised floor for the Padres’ rotation. San Diego can rely a whole lot less on “chaos pitching” if they have a starter that can eat some innings and can hopefully regain some of his form with pitching coach Ruben Niebla.

The future implications for this kind of move also help the front office have a clearer picture of where their rotation stands for the next year. Doing some off-season shopping in July is an approach A.J. Preller showed at last year’s deadline.

Dealing From Strengths

As previously stated, the Mariners very clearly need some relief pitching and a right-handed bat.

For a bullpen that is in desperate need of some strikeout stuff, Jeremiah Estrada is the perfect complement to fill the setup role for Seattle. With a career 12.9 K rate, Estrada is the type of reliever that Seattle covets to help bridge the gap to closer Andres Muñoz.

With Estrada as the centerpiece of the trade, A.J. Preller can get creative for the return package. Since Seattle would need to eat some Castillo money, Preller can give the Mariners the option to “buy” prospects or eat more money for more relievers.

The Padres can add Jason Adam to the deal to offset some rental money and provide the Mariners with another late-inning option when he comes back from injury. Yuki Matsui is another reliever that the Mariners may be heavily interested in if Preller were to make him available. There is a world where all three of these relievers could go to completely retool Seattle’s bullpen.

Miguel Andujar is also a player that Seattle may heavily covet to provide some lineup balance. Although he is injured and has been a productive bat for San Diego, the pitching needs are important enough to consider including him in a deal as well. Given the dollar amount, Preller would likely want Seattle to cover as much of Luis Castillo’s deal as possible. If the Mariners are interested in prospects, catcher Ty Harvey (SD’s #5-ranked prospect per MLB.com) and OF/1B Kale Fountain (SD’s #11-ranked prospect per MLB.com) could help replenish some future positions of need for Seattle.

This is a deal that may become a win-win for both teams as they both aspire to make the playoffs and make a run at a championship.

After making the ALCS last season, Seattle would like to build on that playoff success by shoring up the later innings. With San Diego’s offense starting to come alive, they will have to deal from some major strengths to help balance out the roster. Getting a starting pitcher that can still grow to be an ace and a former ace with playoff experience is something the team has sorely missed. In combination with a potential return from Nick Pivetta, the Padres could have a completely different rotation for the last two months of the season to help in the playoff hunt.

Brian Ferreira

30

East Coast Based

Dominican