The San Diego Padres had a stellar second half of the 2026 season.
From July on, the Padres looked like the team many expected them to be from start to finish. The Padres were red-hot heading into the playoffs, but it wasn't enough against the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers.
However, the page has now turned to the offseason and improving the roster for the 2027 season. While the Padres have a ton to address, their top priority must be the starting rotation.
It's simple: the Padres' offseason won't be a success unless they significantly upgrade their starting rotation.
San Diego's loss to Milwaukee highlighted the problem. The Padres' starting pitchers recorded only 15 of the team's 34.2 innings in the series, excluding innings covered by Robbie Ray and Michael King in relief.
The Padres have a talented roster and a bullpen capable of helping them win in October, but the rotation needs to do more of the heavy lifting.
The Padres' number one priority this offseason needs to be retaining Michael King.
King is where it starts and ends for the Padres as they do their best to build the best rotation possible for the 2027 season.
He finished the 2026 season with a 3.21 ERA and 158 strikeouts across 185 innings and 32 starts. King was even better during the postseason, finishing with a 0.64 ERA over 14 innings.
Combine the pure skill, durability, production and postseason success, and you get exactly what San Diego needs at the top of its rotation.
Retaining King is easier said than done, though The 31-year-old can (and likely will) opt out of the remaining two years and $58 million on his deal, taking a $5 million buyout to enter free agency.
Overall, the Padres cannot afford to lose King, especially without a clear plan to replace his production.
Keeping King will be a win, but it doesn't and shouldn't stop there.
Even if King does return, San Diego still has considerable uncertainty behind him.
Behind King there is Nick Pivetta, who has a $14 million player option; Randy Vásquez, a dependable returning option; Joe Musgrove, who's an unknown; Yu Darvish, who's uncertain about a potential comeback; and JP Sears.
That leaves the Padres needing multiple quality additions, not simply another veteran to fill the back end.
The Padres front office cannot enter the 2027 season expecting Musgrove to return to his previous form immediately or Darvish to commit to another season.
San Diego must and should aim to acquire at least two starting pitchers, preferably with front- or middle-of-the-rotation potential rather than relying on one major signing to solve everything.
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