Padres Roundup, Oct 26: Campusano vs. Fermin, 2026 Pitchers, Rotation Rebuild

[Padres Mission]

Here is some of the latest Padres analysis from around the internet. The articles cover Ethan Salas' potential trade impact, Padres' pipeline prospects, Walker Buehler's 2026 performance, roster changes, Griffin Canning's struggles, and A.J. Preller's challenges with backloaded contracts.

• Ethan Salas’ Emergence Could Lead the Padres to a Trade (Just Baseball). Argues the Padres should trade Freddy Fermin over Luis Campusano, noting Campusano's strong 2026 offensive production (.265/.363/.433, 8 HR, 30 RBI) and higher offensive value among catchers, while Fermin's defensive skills (9th in Fielding Run Value) are offset by poor batting (.203 AVG, .589 OPS).
• With Salas settled in San Diego, who's next in Padres' pipeline? (MLB.com). Notes that with Salas settled in San Diego, the Padres' pipeline has emerging prospects like RHP Tucker Musgrove (68 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings), OF Ryan Wideman (.314/.389/.504 with Single-A Lake Elsinore), and RHP Winyer Chourio (74 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings), while also addressing GM A.J. Preller's likely trade activity for 2027.
• San Diego’s Surprise Ace (Gaslamp Ball). Argues that Walker Buehler deserves an A grade for his 2026 season despite a 4.63 ERA, citing his reliability, 32 starts, and strong performance in the final two months, including never allowing more than three earned runs in any of his 13 starts during that period.
• 7 Padres players who could be gone before Opening Day 2027 (Friars on Base). Notes seven Padres players facing potential roster changes before 2027, including Michael King's $28 million opt-out, Yuki Matsui's $13.5 million remaining contract, Jake Cronenworth's trade possibilities, Xander Bogaerts' no-trade clause, JP Sears' arbitration salary, Bryan Hoeing's injury concerns, and Luis Campusano's catching competition.
• The Padres’ Failed Starter (Gaslamp Ball). Argues that Griffin Canning's 2026 season with the Padres was a failure as a starter, citing his 5.68 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, and struggles to limit runs, though he improved in a relief role with a 2.70 ERA after July.
• Padres’ backloaded pitching contracts leave A.J. Preller rebuilding the rotation again (Friars on Base). Notes how A.J. Preller's backloaded pitching contracts, such as Nick Pivetta's $55 million, four-year deal and Michael King's $75 million, three-year deal, create financial and roster planning challenges by shifting expenses and leaving the Padres to rebuild the rotation repeatedly.