Padres Under-The-Radar Deadline Pitching Acquisitions Could Be The Final Piece Of The Puzzle

San Diego was once again leading the charge at this year's MLB trade deadline. General Manager A.J. Preller added six new players to the Major League roster, including: 

• Mason Miller (CP)
• JP Sears (SP)
• Ryan O'Hearn (1B/DH)
• Ramon Laureano (OF)
• Freddy Fermin (C)
• Nestor Cortes (SP)

The most impressive talents from this list are all-stars Mason Miller and Ryan O’Hearn. The starting pitchers, however, reveal the front office's bold strategy towards building their 2025 staff: pitching by committee. Let's break down how San Diego arrived at this point, and whether it can continue to work going forward. 

To start, who are these new additions, and how have they performed? Sears was a serviceable option for the Sacramento Athletics, but he never really elevated his game. Cortes only pitched two games in Milwaukee before straining his elbow. He is hopeful to return this month and is coming off a nice bounce-back year for the Yankees in 2024. 

Nestor Cortes 2024 - 174.1 IP / 3.77 ERA / 22.8 K% / 5.5 BB% / 3.84 FIP

J.P. Sears 2024/25 - 291.2 IP / 4.60 ERA / 20.6 K% / 6.1 BB% / 4.60 FIP

Sears has certified himself as an innings-eater. His numbers may not blow you away, but he brings a consistent presence to an injured Padres’ pitching staff. Cortes will add a World Series-experienced arm to the rotation when he returns.

Another trait the two new starters share is their lefty arms. San Diego has just one lefty starter with over five games pitched, and it’s an opener who has pitched just 32 1/3 innings (Kyle Hart). Adding two new southpaws to the mix will give the rotation some crucial diversity in a platoon-heavy league. 

These two additions will ultimately become the 12th and 13th starters used by San Diego this season, eight of whom have started at least five games. This variety is a result of poor health. The Padres have a deep rotation, but only three of their pitchers have started over 15 games. With a group whose health is so unpredictable, Preller has decided to give head coach Mike Shildt as many options as possible. 

Padres Pitchers With 5+ Games Started

• Nick Pivetta - 21 GS / 121.2 IP/ 2.81 ERA
• Dylan Cease - 22 GS / 118.1 IP. 4.79 ERA
• Randy Vasquez - 21 GS / 103.2 IP / 3.65 ERA 
• Stephen Kolek (Traded At Deadline) - 14 GS / 79.2 IP / 4.18 ERA
• Michael King - 10 GS / 55.2 IP / 2.59 ERA
• Ryan Bergert - 7 GS / 35.2 IP / 2.78 ERA 
• Kyle Hart (Opener) - 6 GS / 32.1 IP / 5.29 ERA
• Yu Darvish - 5 GS / 23.2 IP / 6.46 ERA

They may not have a superstar ace, but as long as five of their nine guys are healthy, the rotation will get the job done. This job is a simple one, too: Get the ball to the newly reinforced, high-powered bullpen. 

Despite that, this strategy isn’t an ideal one. The fanbase would certainly be more comfortable with a top-end rotation of consistent, healthy arms. Most teams that win a World Series have this. The good news, though, is that many of the National League's best teams are in the same boat as San Diego. This may be the one year a team can pull off the “by committee” rotational approach. 

The N.L. West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers only have three pitchers with over 10 games started. The Chicago Cubs are without their lefty ace, Justin Steele, for the remainder of 2025. The New York Mets fare slightly better but still don’t have any proven aces on their squad. The Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies hold a strong advantage in starting pitching, but their lineups don’t pack the same punch as San Diego or the other three teams with questionable rotations. 

As always, this year's playoffs are going to be unpredictable. The squads have been reinforced at the trade deadline, and now there's nothing left to do but compete. With an active day that included trading for two under-the-radar starters, San Diego’s pitching staff is ready for the long haul.