The San Diego Padres will be entering into the upcoming offseason ready to make some big splashes after another early playoff exit.
San Diego wasn’t able to get out of the National League Division Series this year, falling to the Milwaukee Brewers in four games. This now sends the Padres into a crucial offseason, but the team does have new ownership in place now.
After the team was acquired this year, the new owners did promise to keep spending, giving this team the best chance to win games. But whether the ownership group will keep its promises remains one of the bigger questions around the team this winter.
However, with president of baseball operations A.J. Preller still running the show, the Padres can never be counted out. Preller loves to make major moves, adding All-Star talent to the roster in search of the elusive World Series title.
Padres Linked to All-Star Pitcher
Entering the massive offseason, the big need for the Padres comes from within the starting rotation. San Diego has multiple arms entering free agency, and Preller is going to have to remake the group on the fly.
One name that could make sense for the team is right-hander Drew Rasmussen, currently of the Tampa Bay Rays. Rasmussen is scheduled to have a $20 million option this offseason, and historically, the Rays have moved players with this much money.
The Padres could take advantage, bringing in one of the more dominant pitchers from the season and playoffs. MLB analyst Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report mentioned Rasmussen as a possible trade target for the Padres in a recent article.
“There’s a dream scenario in which Michael King doesn’t opt out of the two years left on his contract while both Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish make triumphant returns in 2027. There’s also a nightmare scenario in which none of those things happen and the Padres are looking at JP Sears, Jhony Brito and Jagger Haynes as regulars in the rotation behind Nick Pivetta and Randy Vásquez. In other words, there’s work to be done here, and AJ Preller has never been shy about swinging big on the trade block. Maybe they can pry Rasmussen away from Tampa Bay?, Miller wrote.
For the year, Rasmussen has posted a 2.67 ERA over 30 starts for the Rays. And he’s been incredible for Tampa Bay in the playoffs, posting a 1.29 ERA over three starts, throwing 21.0 innings of work.
Should Padres Make This Move?
If the Rays are looking to offload money this offseason in the form of Rasmussen, the Padres should be looking to get involved. Preller has never been afraid to take big swings, and adding in Rasmussen could be one of the stronger moves to make.
The 31-year-old could offer the Padres a legitimate ace for the rotation next season, and he could pair with Michael King if San Diego can keep him around. This could give the Padres extra strength in the pitching staff, which was a problem this past season.
Even on the one-year deal, Rasmussen could offer the Padres a pathway forward, giving Preller more time to work everything out. The right-hander would get a chance to play for a contender still, and the Padres could start building out the rotation for the 2027 season.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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