Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller met with reporters (including Dennis Lin of The Athletic and Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune) on Tuesday afternoon. While the fallout from Mike Shildt’s resignation was the main topic, Preller also addressed the Friars’ uncertain rotation situation through 2026.
San Diego front office leaders admit starters ‘are an obvious area of need’ as they face free agent losses Dylan Seth and Michael King. The stop was a lock on rejecting a qualifying offer, and a signing elsewhere had long seemed possible. King will decline the co-option in favor of the $3.75 buyout. The Padres also seemed likely to offer him a QO, a request that he would most likely decline even after an injury-plagued season.
The Padres could try to bring King back. He was on track for a nine-figure deal until he injured a nerve in his throwing shoulder. It seemed like a minor problem at first, but it ended up costing him nearly three months. King missed a few more weeks with knee inflammation in August and didn’t look as sharp in September. The Padres didn’t fully trust him in the postseason, using him out of the bullpen in the Wild Card Series. A tough finish could move King from a five- or six-year asking price to a two- or three-year opt-out deal. If King stays healthy, that could be more than the Padres’ $125-150MM commitment.
For now, the Padres need to act like Seth and King aren’t coming back. That stays Nick Pivetta As the clear #1 starter. Joe Musgrove Should be on track to make Opening Day after undergoing Tommy John surgery during last year’s playoffs. However, the Padres can keep a close eye on his innings.
Yu Darvish He signed a three-year extension, but he had a 5.38 ERA entering his age-39 season. Randy Vazquez 26 starts, ERA under 4.00, no missed at-bats. Deadline for pickup Chase Sears He’s been rocked in five MLB games since the trade. He’s not guaranteed a contract with a projected arbitration salary of $3.5MM. Padres should decline their $5MM option Kyle Hartalthough Matt Waldron He has entered the roster bubble after struggling in Triple-A.
Padres roster thin after trade Ryan Burget and Stephen Kollek catcher for royals Freddy Ferming on deadline. That’s even assuming Darvish returns. Kevin Acee of the Union-Tribune wrote earlier this month that Darvish has yet to make it clear that he will fulfill his entire contract that runs through the end of the 2028 season. The veteran right-hander missed much of the first half with elbow inflammation and just posted the worst numbers of his career.
Preller didn’t offer many details, but noted he had some conversations with Darvish early in the offseason. “We will continue to talk to him over the next few weeks to see what this all means for him,” he added. Darvish doesn’t appear to have made any decisions, but that’s another question hanging over an already light starting five.
It’s a familiar situation for the Friars, who seem to hit a rotation hole or two every offseason and are unsure of their ability to add short-term financial commitments. Two years ago, this was reflected in the construction Juan Soto Returned to King and completed the spring training agreement to acquire Seth from the White Sox. Last offseason, they waited out the market and signed Pivetta to a loaded four-year free agent contract.
The Padres have also had considerable success integrating relievers into starting pitching. they gave Seth Lugo He got this opportunity after spending many years as a reliever with the Mets. King flourished in San Diego after beginning a rotation experiment with the Yankees. Kolek obviously isn’t as impactful as Lugo or King, but he’s had enough success as a starter to pique the Royals’ interest in negotiating with Fermin.
That history fuels speculation about Padres donation Mason Miller San Diego made another rotation move after acquiring him from the Athletics. Miller has been arguably the most dominant reliever in Major League Baseball over the past two seasons. He had limited rotation experience — 15 starts in the minor leagues and six as a rookie — before the A’s moved him to the bullpen.
It’s not so much a question of talent as it is a question of durability. Miller has battled shoulder and elbow injuries in his minor league days and missed most of his 2023 rookie season with forearm tightness. He has remained healthy as a reliever except for missing three weeks in ’24, when he fractured his non-throwing hand (reportedly after hitting a table in frustration after a bad outing).
Adrian Mohon Has been a full-time reliever for nearly four seasons. He also was benched due to health issues, but he has been the top starting pitcher prospect. He has multiple injuries to his shoulder and elbow, one of which will require Tommy John surgery in 2021. Morejon has stayed healthy for several seasons and developed into one of the best relievers in the game. He was coming off his first All-Star season, having just thrown 73 2/3 innings of 2.08 ERA ball in 75 games.
Preller did not commit to a role for either pitcher but left open the possibility of pulling one or both pitchers out. “We’ll be sure to pick up Mason’s thinking and hear what he thinks is best. We’ll see how the offseason stacks up. And then we’ll provide him with some clear direction,” he said of Miller. Preller expressed similar sentiments about Morejon.”(He’s) a lefty who can throw more than three pitches and has the ability to use him in different spots in the game. I think as we get into this, it’s going to be a Mason-like conversation about what’s going to happen next year.“
Moving either pitcher to the rotation would obviously be a significant blow to what was MLB’s best bullpen in the final two months of the season. Padres already seemed likely to lose closer Robert Suarezhe will opt out of the remaining two years and $16MM of his contract and can earn over $15MM per year on a two-year free agent deal.
Miller will be the heir apparent in the ninth inning if he doesn’t start. If they put Miller in the rotation Jeremiah Estrada Might become a favorite to close. Jason Adam Could be in the mix, too, but he’s recovering from a season-ending quadriceps rupture. David Morgan and Bradley Rodriguez As rookies, they showed potential late in games and if they can hit enough shots, they can step into a leverage role.
