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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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    Steve Drumwright
    Not that the San Diego Padres needed more depth in their bullpen, but you can never have too many arms. But this one will go into the bank in hopes of a future payoff.
    Veteran right-hander Jose Leclerc, who has closer experience but missed most of 2025 with an injury, is close to signing a minor-league contract with the San Diego Padres, MLB insider Mike Rodriguez reported Monday.
    The 32-year-old had lat surgery in August and is still working his way back, projected to return to action in July. To show his progress, Leclerc threw a bullpen session recently for a handful of teams.
    Leclerc pitched in just 10 games and nine innings last season for the A's, with his last appearance in late April.
    Before that, he had spent his entire eight-year career with the Texas Rangers, including being a big part of the bullpen that helped secure the 2023 World Series championship, getting four saves that postseason. He has 41 saves in 360 career games, posting a 3.54 FIP. He has struggled with walks in his career, with a 13.1% walk rate, but excels at strikeouts with a 30.8% rate. His walk rate was 11.1% in 2024.
    Steve Drumwright
    While it has seemed like the obvious decision since the San Diego Padres began spring training, the team took its time in formally naming the Opening Day starting pitcher.
    Right-hander Nick Pivetta, the Friars' best pitcher in the 2025 season, was named the starter for Thursday's season-opening game at Petco Park against the Detroit Tigers and Tarik Skubal, the winner of the last two AL Cy Young Awards.

    The 33-year-old Pivetta was a late signing last year, joining the Padres on a four-year, $55 million contract. He went on to have the best season of his nine-year career. In 31 starts, Pivetta went 13-5 with a 3.49 FIP (2.87 ERA), walking 6.9% of hitters and striking out 26.4%. That earned him sixth place in NL Cy Young Award voting.
    Pivetta had a brief bout of arm fatigue following his March 3 start, but only missed one turn in the rotation and started twice more, building up to 71 pitches in his final outing on March 20.
    "We're excited for Nick to get his chance to start Opening Day. He was our best pitcher throughout the whole entire last season. Was our No. 1 starter when we took on the Cubs in the Wild Card Series. He has pitched great in spring training, and he deserves to get the Opening Day nod."

    First pitch for Opening Day is 1:10 p.m. The remainder of the matchups for the Tigers series are Padres right-hander Michael King vs. Tigers left-hander Framber Valdez on Friday at 6:40 p.m. and Friars right-hander Randy Vasquez vs. Detroit right-hander Jack Flaherty. The Padres are off Sunday, then opening a three-game series vs. the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park. Right-handers Walker Buehler and German Marquez are expected to make their Padres debuts in that series.
    Steve Drumwright
    The San Diego Padres are bringing Ty France with them to Opening Day.
    The Friars told the former San Diego State standout that he will be on the roster to begin the season, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Saturday. As a non-roster player in camp, the infielder will have to be added to the 40-man roster. The move comes a day after right-handed starter Walker Buehler was told he will be on the Opening Day roster.
    France signed a minor-league deal after camp began, which called for his salary to be $1.35 million once added to the Padres' roster. The Padres had faced a Saturday deadline to inform them of their decision or have him possibly opt-out of his contract.
    In winning the final spot on the bench, France has had a really good spring, putting up a .318/.367/.545 slash line with two homers with 12 RBIs in 44 at-bats. Last year's AL Gold Glove first baseman has displayed his positional versatility, playing second and third base this spring. France has played second base in an MLB game three times over the last four years and 55 times since his MLB debut with the Padres in 2019. He has not played third base since the 2022 season.
    But as a member of the Padres' bench for 2026, France is likely to see action at both spots early in the season, especially with Sung Mun Song expected to start the season on the injured list. Adding France means the four-person bench will likely include him, catcher Luis Campusano, outfielder-infielder Miguel Andujar, and outfielder Bryce Johnson.
    France started the 2025 season with the Minnesota Twins, but was traded at the deadline to the Toronto Blue Jays, where he played sparingly as the team made a run to the World Series.
    Steve Drumwright
    The journey for Walker Buehler will continue with the San Diego Padres.
    The right-handed starter, signed to a minor-league deal at the beginning of spring training, has been told he is making the Padres' Opening Day roster, Kevin Acee of the San Diego-Union Tribune reported Friday. Buehler was facing an opt-out decision Saturday if not assured of making the major-league roster.
    Buehler's original deal called for him to make $1.5 million when on the Padres' roster. The Friars currently have one opening on their 40-man roster, so adding Buehler will not necessitate another move.
    Buehler was a no-brainer. He has been very good this spring, posting a 3.39 ERA in 11⅔ innings, walking four and striking out 13. He struck out seven and allowed three hits in five shutout innings Monday vs. the San Francisco Giants in his most recent start. Buehler, a former Los Angeles Dodgers star, had a rocky 2025, mostly with the Boston Red Sox before being released and signing with the Philadelphia Phillies and having better results.
    He will join Nick Pivetta, Michael King, and Randy Vasquez in the rotation, with German Marquez likely the final piece of what will be an all-righty rotation.
    Infielder Ty France, like Buehler, a non-roster invite to camp, is also facing a Saturday deadline to be on the Padres' roster, according to the Union-Tribune.
    Steve Drumwright
    The San Diego Padres will be stuck in the Mud for a few more years.
    In this case, that's actually a good thing.
    Television analyst Don "Mudcat" Grant has agreed to a multi-year extension with the Friars, keeping one of MLB's top announcing teams together. The move was reported Thursday by Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Don Orsillo, the team's play-by-play announcer for TV games, signed a multi-year extension last spring.
    Grant is a former right-hander pitcher who spent parts of four (1987-90) of his eight MLB seasons in a Padres uniform. He has been an analyst for Friars television since 1996, following his last in 1993. The Union-Tribune said Grant had been operating on a series of one-year deals. Orsillo has been calling Friars games since 2016.
    Together, they form not only an informative tandem, but a hilarious one as well. Grant is either providing most of the humor or the subject of it.
    They are scheduled to call their first game of the spring tonight at 6:10 p.m. on Friars.tv as the Padres play the Chicago White Sox.
    Steve Drumwright
    You know it is getting closer to Opening Day when guys thought to be in the mix for a spot on the 26-man roster are sent to minor-league camp.
    Right-handed reliever Ty Adcock, who just returned from an oblique injury, was optioned to Triple-A El Paso by the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. Adcock had been battling an oblique in camp before making his Cactus League debut Monday.
    Also, infielder-outfielder Samad Taylor and left-hander Jackson Wolf were reassigned to Triple-A. Taylor entered camp as a strong candidate to earn a bench spot. The speedy 27-year-old, who has 38 games of MLB experience, posted a .233/.265/.300 slash line in 30 at-bats over 17 games, with five RBIs and three stolen bases. His path became more difficult as the Padres brought in Nick Castellanos and Ty France early in camp.
    Wolf was a long shot to make the Friars' bullpen, but did get some attention with his spring showing, putting up a 2.38 ERA in 11⅓ innings, walking six and striking out eight.
    Steve Drumwright
    A really deep San Diego Padres bullpen just got a wee bit thinner.
    Right-hander Bryan Hoeing, a candidate to make the Opening Day roster, will miss the entire 2026 season after deciding to have surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right arm, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Thursday.
    This comes after the 29-year-old was limited to just seven MLB appearances and 18 in the minors in 2025 due to elbow and shoulder issues. Hoeing was shut down about two weeks ago after experiencing elbow discomfort.
    He will be put on the injured list before Opening Day and moved to the 60-day IL when the Padres need space on the 40-man roster, which currently sits at 39. Right-handed starter Yu Darvish, who is negotiating a buyout of his contract after having an internal brace procedure on his right UCL, will also need to be put on the 60-day IL.
    Typical recovery for flexor tendon surgery is nine months, meaning Hoeing should be good to go next spring training.
    Acquired from the Miami Marlins at the 2024 trade deadline, Hoeing pitched in 18 games for the Friars that season, with a 3.38 FIP (1.52 ERA), with 5.8% walk rate and 20.9% strikeout rate in 20⅔ innings.
    Hoeing will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason.
    Steve Drumwright
    After surprisingly receiving a major-league contract this offseason, right-hander Daison Acosta is headed back to the minors before the season begins.
    The San Diego Padres announced Monday that the 27-year-old reliever had cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A El Paso. It had not been previously known that it had been designated for assignment. This leaves the Padres' 40-man roster at 39.
    Also, catcher Ethan Salas, the Friars' top position player prospect, was reassigned to minor-league camp. Salas had been a non-roster invitee to major-league camp.
    Acosta, who signed a one-year contract for the MLB minimum of $780,000 in early December, has spent his previous eight seasons in the minors, the first six with the New York Mets and the last two with the Washington Nationals. The Padres gave him that deal after Acosta finished the season with a 0.90 ERA in 26 games, striking out 46 in 30 innings at Double-A. But that came after he opened the season at Triple-A and put up a 5.57 ERA in 19 games.
    It could portend an outside addition or adding a non-roster player to the 40-man roster. The Friars also have another 40-man move to make before Opening Day, with Yu Darvish not pitching this season.
    Steve Drumwright
    While there was a lot to enjoy in a 27-6 shellacking of the Seattle Mariners in a Cactus League game Thursday, the San Diego Padres are looking for good news after infielder Song Mun Song left the game early.
    Song, who started at shortstop and homered in his first plate appearance, left after striking out in the second inning after aggravating an oblique injury sustained in the offseason, only slightly delaying his start to spring camp. Padres manager Craig Stammen said removing Song from the game was "precautionary," and the team was awaiting test results to determine the extent of the injury.
    Signed in the offseason from the Korea Baseball Organization, Song is expected to be a utility player in his first MLB season, seeing time at second base, third base, and perhaps the outfield.
    The Padres also made their second set of roster cuts, sending eight players back to minor-league camp. A ninth, right-hander Miguel Mendez, was optioned to Double-A San Antonio, making him the first player on the 40-man roster removed from camp. Right-handers Sean Boyle, Evan Fitterer, Francis Pena, and Ethan Routzahn, infielders Marcos Castanonon and Romeo Sanabria, infielder-outfielder Clay Dungan, and catcher Brendan Durfee were reassigned to the minor-league camp after being non-roster invitees.
    The Friars now have 58 players in major-league camp.
    Steve Drumwright
    The San Diego Padres made their first roster reductions at spring training camp, reassigning three players to minor-league camp.
    One of those players is left-handed starter Jagger Haynes, who has a chance to make his MLB debut later this season. Haynes and fellow left-handers Omar Cruz and Ryan Och were non-roster invites to spring camp with no realistic chance of making the Opening Day roster. These moves leave the Friars with 67 players in big-league camp.
    Haynes, who dropped from No. 10 in the Padres' system at the end of 2025 to No. 15 in just-released rankings by MLB Pipeline, is expected to begin the season at Triple-A El Paso. A fifth-round pick in 2020, the 23-year-old has had Tommy John surgery and overcome blister and shoulder injuries in his first couple of pro seasons, but remained healthy in 2024 and 2025. At Double-A San Antonio last year, Haynes had a 4.11 ERA in 103 innings over 26 games, all but one as a starter. He needs to improve his control, having walked 5.4 batters per nine innings with San Antonio, while striking out a modest 8.8 per nine.
    Haynes appeared in three Cactus League games, pitching four innings with no walks and one strikeout.
    Cruz made his MLB debut with the Padres in 2025 with two relief appearances. Och, the Friars' seventh-round choice in 2021, spent all of last season at San Antonio, posting a 3.46 ERA in 45 games, and should be joining Haynes at El Paso for 2025.
    Steve Drumwright
    Merrill Kelly had dreams of living on Coronado and pitching at Petco Park with the San Diego Padres for the next three years. But California's high tax rate ultimately made the difference in the right-handed starter choosing to return to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
    The 37-year-old said Monday on the "Foul Territory" podcast that the Padres initially had the better deal for three years, but the D'backs eventually increased their two-year offer to make it worthy of turning down the Friars to remain in the desert.
    Kelly wound up getting a two-year, $40 million contract from the D'backs with a vesting option for 2028.
    "I don't think it's any secret on how much money you get taken out of your pocket when you go to California. There were a lot of factors that went into the three-year deal. It was definitely enticing, it definitely made the decision a lot harder to come back here. But once Arizona, once these guys got to the number they did, it made a lot of sense to come back here."
    California has a tax rate of 13% on incomes $1 million and above, while Arizona as a flat rate of 2.5%.
    "I love San Diego," Kelly said. "Like I said, they take too much money out of my pocket. The taxes over there are a different level. We had my numbers guy run the numbers and it just made more sense to come home — which is crazy on a two-year compared to a three-year (contract)."
    Kelly said he was close to choosing the Padres, but is happy to be able to not leave his family in the Phoenix area.
    "It worked out best for us because that was honestly our second choice," Kelly said. "It was between here and San Diego going into the offseason."
    Steve Drumwright
    There is another addition to the San Diego Padres' outfield competition.
    Alex Verdugo, a left-handed hitter released by Atlanta last season, agreed to a minor-league contract with the Padres, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Sunday. The deal will become official once the 29-year-old passes a physical.
    A left-handed hitter, Verdugo was designated for assignment and released by Atlanta in July following the return of former Friars outfielder Jurickson Profar after serving an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. Verdugo, who had signed a $1.5 million contract with Atlanta, had put up a meager .239/.296/.289 slash line with no homers and 12 RBIs in 213 plate appearances over 56 games. That was a second consecutive poor offensive year for Verdugo, who posted a .233/.291/.356 slash line in 2024 with the New York Yankees, with 13 homers and 61 RBIs in 149 games.
    Verdugo's career numbers show there could still be some production left. His career slash line is .270/.326/.406, mostly done between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox over his first seven MLB seasons. His 13 homers in 2024 matched his career high, accomplished twice.
    Verdugo now jumps into the mix with Bryce Johnson for a backup outfield role. Johnson does not have any minor-league options remaining. Verdugo is mainly a corner outfielder, but does also play center.
    Steve Drumwright
    With players from all around MLB getting ready to leave for their World Baseball Classic camps, there is one member of the San Diego Padres who will be sticking around.
    Left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui, who sustained a minor left groin strain a week ago, will not participate in the WBC with Japan, Matsui said Thursday. His status for Opening Day with the Friars is to be determined. Matsui is a key member of one of MLB's best bullpen's.
    “It’s pretty disappointing,” Matsui told assembled media through interpreter Ike Ogata. “Especially since I didn’t do so well at the last WBC and I was looking forward to playing in this one. But that’s not the only thing. It’s baseball. I’m trying to move on, to get the best preparation for the season and to play for the Padres.”

    The 30-year-old was injured during a live batting practice session and knew then that he wouldn't be able to play in the WBC, but he and Japan wanted to wait to see how the recovery progressed before making his absence official. Matsui was replaced on Japan's roster by left-hander Yumeto Kanemaru.
    "Right now, I’m just continuing the throwing progression, throwing program, getting intensities and distances of (playing) catch back up,” Matsui said. “Once it’s good enough, good enough intensity, then I’ll start throwing off the mound. But as to when, we don’t know yet. … We’re not sure yet (about Opening Day)."
    Matsui, who has. 4.40 FIP (3.86 ERA) in his first two MLB seasons, will continue the rehab process at spring camp in Peoria, Ariz., and manager Craig Stammen said it could be beneficial to the pitcher and the team.
    "It also, on the bright side, allows him to ramp up for the season properly, we don't have to rush it," Stammen said. "He'll be here with us, with our trainers, our doctors to get ready. He's started throwing. We'll ease him back into competition and see how that shakes out by the end of spring training."

    Steve Drumwright
    If there is a singular strength of the San Diego Padres entering the 2026 season, it is most definitely the bullpen. There will be a few relievers who should be on the Friars' Opening Day roster who instead will be suiting up for the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas.
    Or maybe another franchise altogether.
    That is one possibility, as reported by Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The Padres, who had one of the best sets of relievers in MLB in 2025, are fielding calls on members of their bullpen, although there are no specifics at this point.
    With everyone either healthy or on pace to be healthy for Opening Day, relievers who could be on the outside looking in include Bryan Hoeing, Bradgley Rodriguez, Ron Marinaccio, Kyle Hart, Ty Adcock, and Alek Jacob. Hart is the only left-hander in that group. All are right-handers except for Hart, while Marinaccio and Adcock are out of minor-league options.
    Right-hander Jason Adam (ruptured quad) and left-hander Yuki Matsui (groin) are mending injuries, and their Opening Day status is up in the air at the moment.
    Where could the Padres be looking to upgrade? They could still be looking for starting depth, even after the in-camp additions of German Marquez, Walker Buehler, and Griffin Canning. A backup infielder capable of playing shortstop is also another area. Of course, prospects are also nice, especially for a farm system that has been depleted through trades.
    Steve Drumwright
    Right-hander Matt Waldron's chances to make the San Diego Padres' Opening Day starting rotation took a major hit when he had a medical procedure to treat an infection.
    New Padres manager Craig Stammen said Waldron, who features a knuckleball, is "week-to-week" after the procedure addressed the infection in his "rear end."
    The 29-year-old spent most of 2025 at Triple-A El Paso and made just one MLB start. But with room in the rotation this spring, Waldron entered camp as one of a handful of candidates for the last two spots. He is out of minor-league options, which means he needs to make the Opening Day roster or go on the 15-day injured list to avoid being designated for assignment.
    Waldron started 26 times (in 27 appearances) in 2024, putting up a 4.26 FIP. He walked 6.4% of batters and struck out 21.3%, solid numbers. By throwing the knuck
    Matthew Lenz
    The San Diego Padres will have quite a bit of rostering shuffling to do after making multiple big league signings recently. Even more if they intend to add any of the players signed to speculative minor league contracts. As of Tuesday, the first domino has fallen.
    According to the San Diego Padres official X account, they have DFA'd outfielder Tirso Ornelas to make room for Griffin Canning. Ornelas' role was never guaranteed as it likely came down to him and fellow outfielder Bryce Johnson to battle for one of the last active roster spots. One of the two became even more expendable once it was announced that the Padres signed Nick Castellanos. After the first day of camp, Ornelas is the odd man out.
    In a cup of coffee last year, Ornelas posted a .256 OPS across 16 plate appearances. However, at Triple A El Paso he was an above average posting a 104 wRC+ with 10 home runs and seven stolen bases. His scouting report suggests that he can play  an average, if not above average, corner outfield.
    Do you think Ornelas will make it through waivers? Let us know in the comments!
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