Three names the Padres should target in 2026 free agency
With the Milwaukee Brewers being crowned the World Series Champions after taking down the Rays in five games, free agency is officially upon us. The Padres have several holes to fill with Michael King, Adrian Morejon, Ty France, Robbie Ray, and Casey Mize among other names entering free agency.
There is uncertainty as to how much the team is willing to spend because this is the first offseason under new principal owners, Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones, as well as the large contracts currently on the payroll. With the lockout looming on Dec. 2nd, that also creates some indecision as to when some of the golden ticket players will sign their deals.
The Padres have three major areas that need to be addressed if they want to make the postseason for the fourth consecutive season in 2027. Those areas being starting pitching, left field, and first base.
As it stands right now, San Diego’s five-man rotation consists of Randy Vásquez, Joe Musgrove, JP Sears, Jhony Brito and Jagger Haynes. Those names combined for 182 1/3 regular season innings pitched in 2026. The Padres announced on Nov. 1 that Nick Pivetta’s club option worth $14 million had been declined by the team.
Shota Imanaga, SP
If San Diego decides not to re-sign King, I’d like to see Shota Imanaga atop the rotation. Over the last three seasons, the Padres’ rotation have been dominated with righties with King, Dylan Cease, Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish just to name a few. Adding a strong veteran left-hander to help lead this rotation would be a strong acquisition.
In 2026, Imanaga posted an ERA of 3.77, FIP of 4.47, while striking out 174 hitters. The 33-year-old out of Japan marked career highs in innings pitched and starts a year ago, with 174 1/3 and 32. Imanaga’s walk rate is also among the best in baseball. His walk rate was in the 95th percentile in all of MLB, at 5.2% in 2026. The Padres need to bolster the rotation with a reliable arm at the top, and Imanaga can be that guy in 2027 and beyond. According to Spotrac, Imanaga should receive a contract with an AAV of around $23 million in free agency.
Shota Imanaga has punched out nine Pirates in six no-hit innings, but he’s at 100 pitches and the Cubs had the bullpen up https://t.co/2eEYUbXdi2
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 10, 2026
Ian Happ, LF
Left field was an interesting position for the Padres in 2026. For the majority of the year, it consisted of Ramón Laureano, Samad Taylor, Luis Rengifo, Jase Bowen, Gavin Sheets, and Dustin Harris. Manager Craig Stammen played left field with platoons during the stretch run of the season after Laureano tore his labrum in his right hip in May and had to miss the remainder of the season. As it stands right now, Harris and Taylor are the best options to start in left field. Long-time Chicago Cub Ian Happ is a name that fits this Padres’ lineup.
In 156 games in 2026, Happ would hit 24 homers to drive in 68 runs, for a slash line of .218/.326/.412, good for an OPS of .738 (OPS+ of 103), which stands three points above the league average. Happ may not be a huge hit-for-average bat, but his ability to get on base via walk is among the best in baseball, sitting in the upper 89th percentile in 2026. The 32-year-old glove in left field is still very solid, ranking third of all left fielders in FRV in 2026, behind Jackson Chourio and Cody Bellinger. Happ’s projected AAV for 2027 is around $20 million.
Ian Happ LAUNCHES a home run to the back of the bleachers 🤯
Anthony Rizzo goes tarps off and is loving it! https://t.co/IEtoFY7Z9S
— MLB (@MLB) June 5, 2026
Jake Bauers, 1B
In the event that the Padres and Ty France do not come to terms on a deal, World Series Champion Jake Bauers should be on the radar. As of Nov. 2nd, the Brewers extended the qualifying offer to Bauers for the 2027 season, worth $23.15 million. Bauers needs to make a decision by Nov. 17th.
It would not be out of this world if Bauers tests free agency, after a season that encompassed his career high in just about every major stat: games (144), home runs (26), RBI (86), batting average (.266), on-base percentage (.389), and OPS (.873). Bauers’ xwOBA in 2026 was .371, ranking in the upper 93rd percentile in MLB. As a lefty, Bauers still did immense damage vs. southpaws in 2026, posting an OPS of .901 vs. lefties in comparison to his .863 OPS vs. righties. The 31-year-old, originally drafted by the Padres in 2013, could be in for a large payday after his 2026 season efforts, including his NLCS MVP award. Bauers is expected to get an AAV of $14 million if he tests free agency.
JAKE BAUERS PUTS THE BREWERS BACK IN FRONT! https://t.co/KK8xCFd7j1
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2026
The Padres have some work to do with several key pieces from the 2026 season now entering free agency. If they are unable to retain a few of those pieces such as King and France, these NL Central players would be nice additions to a core that includes Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Jackson Merrill. The organization continues to pursue its first World Series title in franchise history and its first World Series appearance since 1998 after falling short in the postseason five times this decade.
Angel grew up a San Diego sports fan, following the Padres, SDSU athletics, San Diego FC, as well as the Chargers. He is currently a student at San Diego State University, majoring in Journalism with an emphasis in Public relations.