The San Diego Padres have needs on their roster and reportedly very little money with which to address those needs before the start of the 2026 season. Prospect capital has been depleted due to deadline
trades over the past couple seasons, so the question asked by AJ Cassavell of Padres.com is how does president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller address those needs? Cassavell discusses the possibility of trading from the depth of the San Diego bullpen. Preller has stated several times this offseason he is hesitant to do so for fear that it would weaken the team’s biggest strength. That does not mean it wont happen, it just means that if it does, Preller and the Padres value what they get in return.
Padres News:
- A recent Padres Reacts Survey on Gaslamp Ball asked readers if Joe Musgrove or Jackson Merrill needed to have a better performance in 2026 for the team to be successful. Musgrove slightly edged Merrill in the eyes of the Friar Faithful, but it will be critical that both players return to form for San Diego to remain competitive in the National League.
- Padres legendary pitcher Randy Jones died in November and the team has announced it will hold a celebration of life for the former Cy Young Award winner. Much like Padres FanFest, tickets to the event are free, but they will need to be claimed ahead of time.
- One possible trade candidate that could come from the San Diego bullpen is left-hander Wandy Peralta. Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune looks at Peralta’s expected role in 2026 as the focus of his ongoing Padres roster review.
- David Schoenfield of ESPN.com looks at some lesser discussed free agents and what teams would be the best fit for their services. He thinks Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Luis Arraez, Marcell Ozuna and Paul Goldschmidt are all possible additions to address needs on the Padres’ roster.
Baseball News:
- The St. Lois Cardinals agreed to a deal with reliever Ryne Stanek.
- Free-agent outfielder Max Kepler has been suspended 80 games for a PEDs violation.
- Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte is reportedly no longer on the trade block and will remain with the team for the 2026 season, which could also mean the Diamondbacks will no longer look to add free agent Alex Bregman to their roster.
