The San Diego Padres had a starting pitching problem in 2026.
It wasn't necessarily the loudest problem that the Friars were dealing with as their dominant bullpen continued to cover up for the rotation, but the 752.2 innings logged by the relievers were the fourth-most in MLB. This led to them ultiately faltering in October.
Of the 17 potential free agents on the Padres roster, seven are starting pitchers. It not only puts San Diego in a pickle of having to essentially rebuild the rotation this offseason, but it presents a great opportunity to do things right this offseason.
Last offseason, and even into the start of the regular season, the Padres appeared to have a budget-rotation that was hampered by losing right-hander Nick Pivetta for nearly five months and Joe Musgrove (who many expected to be the Opening Day starter) not making his season debut until the wild-card round.
If the Padres want to go all-in on their rotation, they have to put their money where their mouth is. A large amount of that money, however, is what it will take to get Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Freddy Peralta.
Padres Must Pursue Freddy Peralta This Offseason
After eight successful seasons as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers, the two-time All-Star was traded to the New York Mets ahead of the 2026 campaign. After 22 uncharacteristic starts and a 4.99 ERA, Peralta was dealt once again, this time to the American League powerhouse.
In 10 starts as a member of the Rays, Peralta totaled a 3.25 ERA. In the postseason, he has virtually been untouchable.
In 16.2 innings (three starts) this October, he has a 1.08 ERA. More importantly, the Rays have won every game he started as well as his relief appearance during Game 4 of the ALCS (which he did on three days of rest before pitching 5.1 innings two days later).
The ALCS MVP winner can instantly become a staple of any rotation he joins, but as mentioned earlier, he will not be cheap. The Padres already have over $100 million per season solely committed to Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth and Jackson Merrill through 2031.
According to Spotrac, Peralta is predicted to land a deal worth around $28.7 million per season. In terms of his market value, this is looking like a seven-year, $201.1 million deal.
Peralta would be a perfect fit in the rotation with a healthy Pivetta and Musgrove, and perhaps a restructured deal for King. Assuming that the Padres keep the nucleus of their bullpen together as well, next postseason could end up being significantly longer than 2026.
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