Padres’ pitching options still not clear
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The San Diego Padres enter 2025, still needing to fill holes in their roster.
General manager A.J. Preller is faced with once again needing to work magic to build a complete team. However, the Padres’ pitching options a second time will be much more difficult.
The team still needs a talented bat that can play left field. What to do with hitting specialist Luis Arraez hasn’t yet been decided. An extension of Michael King is on the horizon. Even more difficult, filling out the starting rotation. This appears to be their biggest challenge.
The Padres currently have King, Yu Darvish, and Dylan Cease in the rotation. Joe Musgrove is on the mend for most, if not all, of 2025. Martin Perez is a free agent. Cease, who was acquired from the Chicago White Sox last year, has been mentioned in trade rumors. Wearing a different uniform on Opening Day is not out of the question for him. As of now, only two of the Padres’ starters are locks to pitch in brown and gold this season.
So, how will Preller address this glaring question? It was confirmed this week that the Padres were one of 20 teams that has met with Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki. They and the Los Angeles Dodgers are considered the two biggest favorites to sign him. Where he goes won’t be know until, at the earliest, Jan. 15.
Padres’ pitching options running thinÂ
The Padres aren’t in a position to splurge on free agents. The team’s front office has made this known. Last year, the team had to cut payroll to not trigger the luxury tax. They are in the same mode again in 2025.
The pitching market so far has been insane, to say the least. Former Padres star pitcher Blake Snell signed with the Dodgers for 5 years, $182 million. Max Fried, once thought to be an option for San Diego, signed with the Yankees. He will earn $218 million over 8 years. Corbin Burnes, perhaps the most coveted free agent pitcher, signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks for 6 years. The Padres’ NL West rival has promised him $210 million. Preller doesn’t have enough payroll flexibility to offer those deals. The Padres’ pitching options are not in the free-agent market.
The Padres’ options from within are slimÂ
Preller can look within the organization to fill out the rotation. Last year, Randy Vasquez served as a stopgap while Darvish was away from the team. He started 20 games, posting a 4.87 ERA. Decent enough to be a stopgap, but not good enough to be a permanent solution.
Another option is Adrian Morejon. This former top prospect made 60 appearances in 2024. He did not start any of those games. He did, however, post a 2.83 ERA over 63.2 innings. The Padres have tried in the past to make him into a starter. Injuries kept him out of the rotation. He has been the most reliable as a relief pitcher. Looking down on the farm, none of the best pitching prospects appear ready to compete for a spot in the rotation. They are relievers at best.
Trade looks like the best option
The trade market is where Preller shines. Looking back, sending Juan Soto to the Yankees looks like a genius move. Soto recently signed the largest contract in professional sports history. The Padres netted King in that trade, among others. The trade for Cease was mentioned earlier in the artticle. Darvish joined the team via trade, as did Musgrove.
The Yankees have a pitcher who could be a trade target –– Marcus Stroman. Entering his age 34 season, Stroman looks to be the odd man out in the Yankees’ rotation. They added Fried to an already dominant starting staff. If he wants to be a starter, getting out of New York is his best bet.
Stroman will earn $18.5 million in 2025 and has a vesting option for 2026. He’s already met the necessary criteria for that. The only issue with this trade is that the Padres might not have the capital to get it done. However, Preller has made magic happen before. When he sees a player he wants, he has found ways to get them.
Stroman would bring swag and attitude to the Padres. The team could use more of that. As of now, things seem to hinge on Sasaki’s decision. The roster will begin to take shape after that. But this time around, Preller will have to get even more creative. The Padres’ pitching options won’t come as easy without the trade capital he once had.
Mike is the sports editor for the Fayette Advertiser, and has been with East Village Times since 2015. His work has appeared on Bleacher Report. He is an avid Padres fan who is keeping the faith and trusting the process.