The San Diego Padres had a pitching problem this past season.
The bullpen was as dominant as advertised (if not better) with a collective ERA of 3.31 — the fifth-lowest in MLB — across 647.2 combined innings. On the other side of the pitching roster, the starting rotation accounted for 4.7 innings pitched per games started, the fourth-fewest in the league.
A bullpen that showed rare signs of breaking after being bent to the brink started to crack come the postseason, and a main reason why points back to dealing with being overworked through 162 regular season games.
This was unfortunately the result of trying to scratch together a rotation on a budget last offseason, something the Padres can ill-afford to do once again this offseason.
Players brought in like German Marquez, Griffin Canning, Walker Buehler and Lucas Giolit, didn't prove to be enough for a contending team the first half of the season, let alone enough to protect the relievers in October.
Marquez was signed for $1.75 million and brought valuable experience from his time with the Colorado Rockies dating back to 2016. The All-Star right-hander pitched through the sixth inning just one time in his 13 appearances, totaling a 5.26 ERA before his release in August.
The Padres inked a deal with Canning for just $1 million. The 30-year-old started the season late and notched a 6.65 ERA through his first 16 appearances on the year. Though his production improved after being sent to the bullpen in early-August with a 2.91 ERA in his final 21.2 innings on the year, his $5 million mutual option will not be picked up.
Right-hander Walker Buehler presented an interesting case, signing a minor league deal despite having major league interest from other ball clubs. Though he was had for a budget last spring, he was among the most serviceable in the rotation, ending the second half of the year with a 3.62 ERA in those final 13 starts.
Bad signings and short outings weren't the only things contributing to the rotational woes, but injuries and seemingly countless setbacks also added fuel to the fire.
Right-hander Joe Musgrove was supposed to be back in the rotation after his recovery from Tommy John surgery in October 2024. Setbacks in his recovery pushed his 2026 debut back to Game 1 of the wild-card round, where he ended up making two postseason appearances, both in relief.
Nick Pivetta had a similar fate after a career-year in 2025, heading to the injured list in mid-April due to right elbow complications that held him out until September. The injury to Pivetta, however, sparked another signing that did more damage than it did help San Diego.
Lucas Giolito made just seven starts for the Padres without recording a sixth-inning out before elbow inflammation sidelined him for the remainder of the season towards the end of June.
When the starting pitching issues were addressed at the trade deadline, Robbie Ray and Casey Mize proved ineffective and are unlikely to be brought back after their abysmal performances post-trade.
Rebuilding the starting rotation from the ground up is as important as keeping the core of the bullpen together this offseason. The more of an investment made into players that can provide relief for the relievers can very well pay its dividends next October.
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