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“PADRES–ROSTER OVERHAUL”
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For the first time, he didn’t win the Winter Baseball Meetings.
But for AJ Preller, it’s not from a lack of trying.
The Winter Meetings are over but that does not mean deals are not coming.
As long as his cell phone battery is charged, he can make a deal anytime, and he has.
But this time has a different feel to it, this Padres off season.
Almost like a time of desperation, trying to fix an ill fitting roster.
And his roster has some holes to fill, and limited resources to make deals.
Taking trade offers for Nick Pivetta makes no sense. If the Friars have a gun to their head (Pivetta can opt out after next season), I assume you don’t get a haul for him on the trade front because the club trading for him has to deal with the same situation with him next fall too. So no one overpays for a 1-year rental, though Preller overpays alot.
And here in lies the problem.
He has a rag-tag starting rotation beyond Pivetta.
No Yu Darvish. No idea if Joe Musgrove can be Joe Musgrove pre surgery. No Michael King. No Robert Suarez. That’s a lot of reliable talent not part of 2026.
Anyone believe Randy Vasquez is ready to be your #2 starter? Beyond him, is anyone at AA-ready (Brad Rodriguez) for this big a jump to the majors? Don’t see anything I believe in via El Paso.
Shopping a good-glove light hitting Jake Cronenworth might net you a back of the rotation guy, but who? Croney is a (.246) bat with a strong glove and spark.
You are not going to deal from the depth of the bullpen.
The price of pitching is so high. Yes it will come down, but by then the type of arms you might get won’t be equal to what has left. Maybe it’s a rent-an-arm acquisition.
Sorry, I do not see the assets to bring back Mackenzie Gore. Is Ryan Weathers a bellweather number 2-3 guy-no so sure? Is there a proper price to get Sandy Alcantara or Edward Cabrera from Miami? Waiting to see if a Mitch Keller-Pittsburgh or Luis Castillo-Seattle might fit this budget?
Anybody have any interest in a rental-flyer on troubled people like Julio Urias or Trevor Bauer?
Preller’s problem is deeper than the price of pitching. Franchise sale. Traded the farm system away 4X. Limited currency on his own roster to use as bait. Age-bloated contracts he gave out. Everyone sees it-knows it. Now to find a way out of it.
And of course the reality, the Dragon up north (Dodgers) continue to spend on payroll and luxury tax too. Getting close to the Dodgers two years ago was special. That’s in the rearview mirror now. We are dealing with today’s dollars and the Padres limitations too.
Is there a creative way to get Japanese blue chip P-Tatsuya Imai? Can you convince Michael King a 3-year deal to stay here is better than a 3-year deal to go pitch for someone else? Should he regret the 6-for-2 Orioles deal for Laureano? Or the package you gave up, DeVries included, for the A’s Mason Miller?
Overhauling the roster means you don’t win in 2026. Not fixing the roster means you don’t win either in 2026. But there is time on the clock. So we will see if there is a unique Christmas Gift this GM can give his fans under the tree?
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