San Diego Padres News

Wandy Peralta exercised his $4.45M option for 2027 after 77 1/3 innings and a 3.61 ERA, but his ground ball rate fell from 59.7% to 45.6% and he missed the initial Wild Card and NLDS rosters. His role needs defining. 🤔

Wandy Peralta’s $4.45 million return leaves Padres with a bullpen trust problem

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Wandy Peralta exercised his $4.45MM player option and will return to the Padres' bullpen for 2027, the final year of his deal. 🔁 The lefty logged a career-high 77 1/3 innings with a 3.61 ERA, though his xERA and SIERA were both 4.32.

Padres' Wandy Peralta Exercises Player Option

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Padres prospect Alex McCoy leads the Arizona Fall League with five homers and a 1.024 OPS as Peoria takes first at 13-8. The catch: 20 strikeouts in 57 PAs. Francis Peña, meanwhile, hasn't allowed a run in 8 1/3 innings. 🔥

Arizona Fall League —Week 4

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Padres face a pricey call on Nick Pivetta: his $14M 2027 option would also guarantee him an $18M player option for 2028. After an elbow flexor strain wrecked his 2026, a revised deal reportedly looks likelier, and rotation depth matters either way. 🤔

Padres’ Nick Pivetta option comes with a bigger gamble than it seems

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Joe Musgrove is projected as the Padres' 2027 Opening Day starter, but he hasn't made a big-league start since the 2024 Wild Card Round. With King opted out and many arms headed for free agency, A.J. Preller is leaning hard on a comeback. 🎯

Padres’ Joe Musgrove comeback hopes put pressure on A.J. Preller’s 2027 rotation plan

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Padres reportedly declined Nick Pivetta's $14M 2027 option, sending him to free agency, though the club hasn't confirmed. An elbow strain cost him nearly five months, but he posted a 1.45 ERA in September. Reliever Wandy Peralta reportedly exercised his $4.45M option, and the Padres have reportedly expressed interest in re-signing Pivetta.

Pivetta becomes free agent after Padres decline '27 team option (source)

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Orioles are expected to decline Luis Robert Jr.'s $20M option, which could send him to free agency and give the Padres another shot after their earlier waiver claim. Health is the catch: a disc herniation and hamstring issue marked his 2026. 🩹

Orioles’ Luis Robert Jr. decision could give Padres a second chance to land him

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MLB Trade Rumors (Padres): Padres Decline Club Option On Nick Pivetta

Padres Decline Club Option On Nick Pivetta

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Garrett Hawkins earns a C+ in Padres roster grades: 65 Ks in 54 1/3 minor-league innings, but a 5.47 ERA as command slipped. Still, with Adam, Matsui and Morejon potential departures, the fastball-heavy righty could crack the 2027 bullpen. 🔥

The Rule 5 Protectee

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Padres' deadline pickup Casey Mize posted a 7.46 ERA over 10 starts (44 2/3 IP) with 13 homers allowed. The argument: a reunion in 2027 would just double down on a trade that fell short. Better to find a more dependable rotation arm. 🔒

Padres’ Casey Mize reunion would double down on a trade that already fell short

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Padres' deadline pickups flopped: Robbie Ray posted a 5.02 ERA after the trade and allowed three runs in 3⅔ NLDS innings, while Casey Mize missed the roster. Re-signing Ray, a free agent, would reportedly compound the mistake. 🔒

Padres' successful offseason plan includes a willingness to admit trade deadline mistakes

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Luis Rengifo hit .291/.375/.409 in 38 games for the Padres, but he's a free agent coming off a torn ACL and MCL sprain, with roughly nine months of recovery. A reunion could work on a modest deal, with no everyday job penciled in. 🩹

Padres need to know what Luis Rengifo fixes before bringing him back

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Adrian Morejon and Jason Adam are both hitting free agency, and keeping both could cost roughly $28M a year (projected $90M/5 years for Morejon, ~$10M for Adam). The real question is whether ownership will also fund rotation and lineup upgrades. 💰

Padres face an expensive bullpen balancing act with Adrian Morejon and Jason Adam

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Manny Machado hit .350 with a 1.080 OPS this postseason and made MLB.com's All-Postseason Team. That October surge, after a frustrating regular season, puts pressure on ownership and A.J. Preller to build a deeper Padres roster. ⚾

Manny Machado’s October raised the stakes for the Padres’ offseason

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Padres should aim higher in left field before circling back to Austin Hays or Ramón Laureano, per one opinion. Randy Arozarena looks pricey, so calls to Boston on Jarren Duran or Cleveland on Steven Kwan could be the smarter first step. Nothing is confirmed. 🔍

Padres need a left-field upgrade before settling for Austin Hays or Ramón Laureano

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Jim Bowden projects Jazz Chisholm Jr. at six years, $128M with an opt-out after Year 2, with the Padres a fit. Power, speed and defense help, but a .231 average could leave San Diego holding the downside. 🎲

Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s projected deal gives Padres six years of risk with one expensive catch

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Padres bullpen coach Ben Fritz has agreed to become Arizona's pitching coach, another offseason blow after Michael King opted out. A growing free-agent list and a thin rotation make this a pivotal first offseason for new owners Feliciano and Jones.

Padres see Ben Fritz join Diamondbacks as their pitching coach

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A Ty France reunion could settle first base for the Padres, but it leaves open Gavin Sheets' role. Sheets hit .212/.313/.397 with 17 homers in 2026, so a DH upgrade is worth considering. France led qualified Padres hitters in OPS. Preller's call. 🧩

Padres’ Ty France reunion hinges on a clear plan for Gavin Sheets

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Michael King opted out, so the Padres have no ace for now. One column asks whether the front office should chase two starters for depth instead of re-signing him. King's likely nine-figure price tag, with the roster already aging, is the sticking point. 🤔

Should the Padres sign two starters instead of re-signing Michael King?

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Padres face a Walker Buehler call: he rebuilt his value with 32 starts and 153 2/3 innings, but a 4.63 ERA, 4.51 FIP and ~4.8 innings per start make a reunion a pricing puzzle. A modest multiyear deal is possible. 🧮

Padres’ Walker Buehler decision comes down to how much of his comeback they believe

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