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  • San Diego Padres Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

    The latest San Diego Padres free agent and trade rumors, along with notes and tidbits about the team.
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    Matthew Lenz
    The San Diego Padres lost Dylan Cease to free agency, may lose Michael King, and have been rumored to be considering bullpen arms for the starting rotation. Despite all of this, they are still willing to move one of their rotation arms.
    Dennis Lin of The Athletic is reporting that the San Diego Padres "have shown a willingness" to deal Nick Pivetta, though Lin goes on to say a deal is "not considered likely" and the team would require a "steep return".
    It's not that the Friars don't need the 33-year-old right-handed - it's that he's owed $19 million in 2026 and could potentially earn an additional $32 million through 2028, if he doesn't opt out of his contract following this season. Trading Pivetta would lighten the books and give the team the flexibility to use some of that money saved to acquire multiple starters.
    Pivetta made 31 starts in 2025, sporting an impressive 2.87 ERA, though a 3.49 FIP suggests some negative regression may be on its way in 2026. His 19.4% K-BB rate was exceptiona,l highlighted by one of the best four-seam fastballs in all of baseball. Displaying four plus pitches last year, it's clear he has plenty of juice left and likely would fetch a solid return if dealt.
    Do you think the Padres should deal Pivetta? Let us know what you think in the comments!
    Brock Beauchamp
    Dylan Cease and Michael King have both declined the Padres’ one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer for 2026, keeping them on the free-agent market and leaving two significant vacancies in San Diego’s rotation. Cease is coming off a 2025 season in which he made 32 starts and threw 168 innings with a 4.55 ERA, 3.46 FIP, and 11.52 K/9, marking his fifth straight year with at least 32 starts and 214 strikeouts. King’s year was limited by injury; he started 15 games and logged 73 1/3 innings with a 3.44 ERA, 4.26 FIP, and 9.33 K/9 after a full 173 2/3-inning workload as a starter in 2024 that featured a 3.33 FIP and a 19.0 percent K-BB rate. 
    MLB Trade Rumors projects Cease to land a seven-year, $189 million contract and King to secure a four-year, $80 million deal on the open market. 
    From a rotation standpoint, the club now has to account for the loss of Cease’s 168 regular-season innings and the portion of King’s workload it reasonably expected in 2026. Cease paired his 4.55 ERA with a 3.46 FIP and a 33.8 percent whiff rate in 2025, leading all starters in whiff rate. King’s shortened 2025 followed his 2024 transition to a full-time starting role, where he provided 173 2/3 innings with a 3.33 FIP for San Diego. Replacing that combination of innings and strikeout production becomes a central offseason task.
    The compensation side is straightforward. Under current qualifying-offer rules, Competitive Balance Tax payors receive a single compensation pick after the fourth round when a qualified free agent signs elsewhere, and the value of that player’s contract does not change the placement of the pick. The Padres are classified as CBT payors this offseason, so if Cease signs with another club, San Diego will receive one compensation pick after the fourth round of the 2026 Draft; the same structure applies to King. If both pitchers depart, the Padres would add two such selections.
    Matthew Lenz
    The San Diego Padres need to rebuild their rotation for 2026. Though they have qualifying offers out to Michael King and Dylan Cease, it's expected that both pitchers will decline the one-year, $22 million pact. Though that doesn't completely write off the potential for a reunion, Padres president of baseball operations and general manager AJ Preller identified the starting rotation as a "top need."
    In a column for MLB.com, AJ Cassavell suggests the Friars could turn to their bullpen to bolster their rotation, specifically naming Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon as candidates to move. The decision on whether to move either arm into the rotation could happen soon, as Preller was quoted as saying, "if there’s a role change for anybody, that’s something that’s going to be important for us over the next 10-15 days..."
    Miller, acquired from the Athletics midseason, finished the season with a 2.63 ERA (2.23 FIP), 32.5% K-BB rate, and 32 holds + saves. Though he was one of baseball's premier closers before being dealt, he was mostly utilized as a setup man to Robert Suarez. Miller earned an extra year of arbitration for being eligible for super-2 status.
    Morejon, entering his fourth final year of arbitration, pitched 73 2/3 innings for the Friars in 2025. He posted a 2.08 ERA (2.28 FIP) with an 18.6% K-BB rate. With an fWAR of 2,2, he was the best bullpen arm for the team. 
    Do you think either pitcher should convert to a starter? Let us know in the comments!
    Brock Beauchamp
    We're looking for contributors to write Padres content over the offseason!
    First, feel free to reach out via email at brock.beauchamp@padresmission.com or reply to this article.
    Writing Articles
    If you’ve ever wanted an audience for your Padres takes, this is the perfect place. While we generally lean into analytics and analysis, we also take a “come as you are” approach to baseball and give writers a lot of leeway to write about the game in a way that interests them. That could manifest in historical pieces, previews, or regular series. It’s a matter of finding your niche in the fandom and carving out a space for it. 
    Making Videos
    We're also looking for videographers! Most of our content is on the shorter side (3-7 minutes), though we have space for plenty of different formats and ideas. Like the writing side of the site, we usually lean into analytics, but it's not the only path we're open to exploring.
    It is also noteworthy that we pay our content creators. It’s certainly not enough to quit your day job. So don’t do that. However, it might be enough to show that we value your time, talent, and effort.
    If you know someone who might be interested in creating Padres content as a side job, please share this with them!
    Matthew Lenz
    The San Diego Padres have had a busy start to the postseason, announcing a variety of moves that will have implications on how they approach the 2025- 2026 MLB off-season. Additionally, they are just days removed from naming Craig Stammen as the team's next manager. Now, they are looking to lock up one of the more influential people in their front office.
    Dennis Lin of The Athletic is reporting that the San Diego Padres and President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller are discussing a contract extension. He adds that a new multi-year extension could be completed as soon as Monday.
    Despite reported tension between Preller and team CEO Erik Greupner, the POBO has undoubtedly earned job security, as the Friars have been consistently competitive throughout his 11-plus-year tenure.
    Under his watch, the Padres have been able to land some of the biggest free agents on the market. Franchise cornerstone Manny Machado is the biggest, and Yu Darvish is another. Moreover, they've been aggressive in the trade market, acquiring superstar, Juan Soto, and starting pitchers, Michael King and Dylan Cease, in recent years. This has resulted in increased revenue from attendance and TV ratings for the organization.
    Do you think Preller has earned a contract extension? Let us know in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    Major League Baseball announced the National League Silver Slugger winners, and one San Diego Padres player will need to make room in his trophy case.
    Third baseman Manny Machado won his third career Silver Slugger and second in as many seasons. His first Silver Slugger came in 2020, his second season with the Friars.
    Machado finished the year with 27 home runs, 91 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. His final slash line was .275/.335/.460, resulting in an OPS of .795, a wOBA of .341, and a wRC+ of 123. He was especially effective with runners in scoring position, posting an .832 OPS and 16 extra-base hits. Additionally, his .663 OPS when in a two-strike count was 28th best in all of baseball.
    The Silver Slugger Award is an award that recognizes the best offensive player at each position in both leagues. It is voted on by managers and coaches around baseball.
    Will he earn the three-peat in 2026? Let us know what you think in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    The San Diego Padres continue to paint a picture of what the next four months may look like early on in the 2025-2026 off-season. They've lost five players to option decisions and one to injury (Yu Darvish) while getting assurance that Wandy Peralta and Ramon Laureano will return in 2026.
    Michael King, who declined his option, may not totally be out of the picture yet. Jeff Passan of ESPN is reporting that the Padres have tendered qualifying offers to King and Dylan Cease. The value of the qualifying offer in 2026 is $22.025 million.
    King, whose option was worth $15 million in 2026, had a bit of a lost season in 2025 due to injury. However, teams have his 2024 season fresh in their mind, where he threw 173 1/3 innings in his first full year as a starter. In that season, he posted an impressive 3.33 FIP and a 19.0% K-BB rate. That's why MLBTR predicts he'll earn a four-year, $80 million contract in free agency this year. It will be up to King if he wants the extra couple of million over long-term security he'll receive by becoming a free agent.
    Cease, who is a free agent, has been a modern-day iron man, making 32 starts in five consecutive seasons. His productivity has alternated each season he's been with the club, receiving Cy Young votes in 2022 and 2024 while sporting ERAs north of 4.00 in 2023 and 2025. About to enter his age-30 season, MLBTR predicts Cease will get a seven-year, $189 million contract via free agency. Given the security and an extra $5 million in 2026, it's hard to imagine Cease will accept the qualifying offer.
    As a reminder, a team receives compensatory draft picks if its free agent rejects the qualifying offer and signs with a new club. Conversely, the team making the signing must forfeit draft picks, with the exact picks exchanged depending on the financial status of both organizations (e.g., whether they pay the Competitive Balance Tax or receive revenue sharing).
    Do you think either player will accept the qualifying offer? Let us know what you think in the comments!
    Brock Beauchamp
    San Diego’s decision to exercise Ramón Laureano’s 2026 club option keeps a 2025 midseason addition rostered after one of the most productive years of his career. The option covers the 2026 season at $6.5 million. The 31-year-old Laureano split 2025 between Baltimore and San Diego, appearing in 132 games and accumulating 488 plate appearances. He finished the year with a .281/.342/.512 triple slash, along with 24 home runs and seven stolen bases. His overall offensive line translated to a .364 wOBA and 138 wRC+. 
    With the Padres, Laureano appeared in 50 games after his July 31 trade from the Orioles. In 198 plate appearances for San Diego, he hit .269/.323/.489 with nine home runs and three stolen bases. In San Diego, he posted a .347 wOBA and 127 wRC+, with a 6.6 percent walk rate and 23.7 percent strikeout rate.
    Defensively, Laureano continued to work primarily in the outfield corners. Statcast’s Outs Above Average metric graded him at -5 OAA for his time in San Diego. Over his combined time with Baltimore and San Diego, one defensive-value framework credited him with -8.7 defensive runs, while his overall WAR was 3.0. 
    Laureano’s season also included multiple injured-list stints. Baltimore placed him on the 10-day injured list on May 24 with a left ankle sprain and later activated him on June 6. After the trade, San Diego placed him on the 10-day injured list on September 27 with a right index finger fracture, before activating him again on October 3. 
    Matthew Lenz
    As the San Diego Padres have already announced a flurry of moves - most of which create voids on the 2026 roster - they now have a position to fill on their major league staff.
    Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that the Houston Astros have poached Padres hitting coach Victor Rodriguez for the same position.
    The announcement comes at a time when the Friars don't have a manager and don't see themselves particularly close to hiring one. Moreover, whoever is hired as the new manager could bring in their own staff, costing Rodriguez a job. It's that uncertainty that justifies the lateral move. He had one year remaining on his deal.
    In two years with the big league club, the Padres' offense posted two of the best team batting averages in the organization's history. However, their power production didn't follow suit. Notably, in 2025, the Padres finished with the third-fewest home runs in baseball after finishing with the 10th-most (ironically tied with the Astros) in 2024. It stands to reason that Rodriguez's hitting philosophy prioritizes putting the ball in play over power.
    How do you think this will impact the 2026 Padres? Let us know in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    The San Diego Padres' 2025-2026 season has gotten off to a busy start as the offseason budget and 2026 roster already begin to take shape.
    A day after Robert Suarez opted out, the team opened up more money by declining three more player options. Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that the Friars have declined the options of Elias Diaz, Tyler Wade, and Kyle Hart.
    Diaz, who received a $2 million buyout instead of a $7 million salary, played in 106 games last season. He was a black hole of sorts at the plate, producing a .607 OPS with nine home runs across 283 plate appearances. In all, he posted a .269 wOBA and a 74 wRC+. With Freddy Fermin and Luis Campusano currently on the roster, this move didn't come as a surprise.
    Dealing with numerous injuries, Wade was a glove-first utility player who had an OPS of .561 in 121 plate appearances. He earned a $50K buyout, whereas his 2026 option was for $1 million.
    Hart, who was signed following a successful season in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), received $500K via buyout instead of a $1 million 2026 salary. In 20 appearances (six starts) he posted a 5.18 FIP, which is actually better than his ERA, over 43 innings pitched. 
    Do you think the Padres will bring back any of these players on a cheaper deal? Let us know in the comments!
    Brandon Glick
    There's been a lot of discourse surrounding Yu Darvish following his late-season struggles.
    Now, those conversations can be put to rest. The Japanese veteran reportedly underwent successful Ulnar Collateral Ligament repair surgery with an internal brace on his right elbow, which will force him to miss the entirety of next year.
    While one step short of full-blown Tommy John surgery, this is still a serious elbow repair for a pitcher with more than 1,700 innings on his arm in just the regular season, let alone the playoffs and NPB. Darvish, 39, had the worst season of his career in 2025, authoring a 5.38 ERA in 72.0 innings.
    He has three years and $46 million remaining on his current deal. Returning from this injury to be an effective starter at age 40 and 41 would be one of the greatest miracles in Padres history.
    Matthew Lenz
    Shortly after news broke that closer Robert Suarez declined his 2026 player option, the San Diego Padres learned that a different key contributor will be back in the bullpen in 2026.
    Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that reliever Wandy Peralta has a 2026 player option. He will be paid $4.45 million in 2026 and will have the same decision to make in 2026.
    Peralta appeared in 71 games for the Friars, recording 71 2/3 innings pitched. Despite a solid 3.63 FIP, a low K-BB% of 10.5% and a low- to medium-leverage role, he provided a -0.22 WPA in 2025. Regardless of the metrics, Peralta was an important arm capable of eating innings. While FanGraphs values his production about half a million dollars below his salary, the open market can drive up player salaries, resulting in teams overpaying. While he isn't an exciting arm, it's hard to argue his value when he's making less than $5 million.
    How do you think today's option decisions impact the Padres' offseason plans? Let us know in the comments!
    Bryan Jaeger
    Robert Suarez , the San Diego Padres' star closer, opted out of his five-year contract signed in 2023. He had $16 million left on the deal. Now 34, Suárez is among the most attractive free agents. He had a career-high 40 saves this season with a 2.97 ERA in 69 2/3 innings. He led the National League in saves, trailing only Carlos Estévez (42) of the Kansas City Royals for the MLB lead.   According to Spotrac, Suárez's market value spans four years, totaling $67 million, with an annual salary of $16.8 million. He likely wants another large payday before age 40. He is the top closer available, with Raisel Iglesias, Ryan Helsley, and Devin Williams as the main alternatives. Edwin Díaz could also opt out, and Andrés Muñoz has a club option. Both are younger and will draw attention.    
    Matthew Lenz
    The coaching carousel is often associated with NCAA football coaches and coordinators, though Major League Baseball seems to have a carousel of its own. While it's common for coaches to move to improve their roles, it seems the Padres may be losing a coach making a lateral move.  
    Tim Britton of The Athletic is reporting that the New York Mets have interviewed San Diego Padres third-base, infield, and base-running coach Tim Leiper for a coaching role. While the role he interviewed for has not been confirmed, Andy Martino of SNY reported that the Mets are close to hiring a third base coach—it's not hard to connect the dots and think Leiper may be the unnamed coach.
    Leiper, who got his start in the Mets organization in 1996, joined the Padres organization ahead of the 2024 season. Previously, Leiper had been coaching in various organizations at multiple Minor League levels before becoming the first base coach for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2014 to 2018.
    Detailed in a 2016 article by Canadian Baseball Network's J.P. Antonacci, Leiper's coaching philosophy centers on preparation and player relationships. In the article, he's quoted as saying, " You’re trying to find a way to put a puzzle together and win a game..." His style is highly analytical, involving the study of opposing pitchers' movements to find tiny advantages for baserunners. He believes successful coaching involves clear, timely information delivery to "take as much off the player's plate as possible," asserting that the ability to connect with and communicate with a player is more crucial than pure technical knowledge.
    If he's hired by the Mets, how do you think his departure impacts the Padres moving forward? Let us know in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    The first day of the offseason isn't even over, and the San Diego Padres are down a piece to their 2026 rotation puzzle.
    Though it's not a surprise, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King has declined his side of a mutual option, collecting a $3.75 million buyout in lieu of a $15 million salary in 2026.
    Despite a so-so season marred by injury, the move was widely expected, as the 2026 Starting Pitcher free-agent class is fairly weak. It's all but guaranteed that King will sign for more than the $11.25 million difference between his buyout and 2026 salary.
    Though 2025 was a bit of a lost season, teams have his 2024 season fresh in their mind, where he threw 173 1/3 innings in his first full year as a starter. In that season, he sported an impressive 3.33 FIP coupled with a 19.0% K-BB rate. 
    Do you think the Padres should re-sign Michael King or look to replace him in 2026? Let us know in the comments!
    Matthew Lenz
    MLBTR is reporting that this offseason's cutoff for Super Two arbitration eligibility will be around two years and 139-140 days.
    Super Two status in Major League Baseball is a special designation that allows a select group of players to become eligible for salary arbitration one year earlier than the typical eligibility requirement. To qualify, a player must rank in the top 22% (rounded to the nearest whole number) of total Major League service time among all players who have between two and three years of service.
    In short, Mason Miller will be eligible for arbitration this offseason instead of being on a rookie minimum salary.
    Miller, acquired from the Athletics midseason, finished the season with a 2.63 ERA (2.23 FIP), 32.5% K-BB rate, and 32 holds + saves. Though he was one of baseball's premier closers before being dealt, he was mostly utilized as a setup man to Robert Suarez.
    How do you think this impacts the Padres' offseason plans?
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