The San Diego Padres entered the 2026 season believing their pitching staff could carry them deep into October, anchored by veterans Nick Pivetta, Michael King, and Joe Musgrove. Instead, injuries have devastated the rotation and left the team scrambling for answers.
Pivetta was sidelined in April because of elbow inflammation with no clear return date, while Musgrove suffered another setback during his recovery from Tommy John surgery and was moved to the 60-day injured list earlier this month.
General manager AJ Preller recently revealed that neither pitcher has resumed throwing. Meanwhile, Yu Darvish is not expected back until at least 2027 following elbow surgery, putting San Diego’s season in serious danger unless the front office makes a major move soon.
That move could involve Freddy Peralta, who has emerged as one of the top arms potentially available on the trade market.
Now with the New York Mets, the two-time All-Star has continued to dominate in 2026, posting a 3.31 ERA with 54 strikeouts across nine starts after a standout 2025 campaign.
However, the struggling Mets appear headed toward seller status, and with Peralta entering the final year of his contract while seeking a long-term extension, rival teams are already monitoring the situation closely.
For San Diego, the fit is obvious. King is currently the only dependable frontline starter healthy enough to anchor the rotation, while pitchers like Randy Vasquez, Lucas Giolito, and Walker Buehler have mainly been asked to eat innings.
Peralta would immediately step in as a co-ace and give the Padres the kind of playoff-caliber rotation needed to compete with contenders like the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Los Angeles Dodgers.
A potential trade package could include pitching prospect Garrett Hawkins and catcher/first baseman Lamar King Jr. Hawkins, the Padres’ 2025 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, has impressed with dominant strikeout numbers and projects as a future mid-rotation starter.
King, a former fourth-round pick, has also boosted his stock with a strong offensive season and intriguing long-term upside behind the plate.
The deal would give New York two valuable young pieces for the future while allowing San Diego to address its biggest weakness immediately. With the NL West race tightening, the Padres may not have the luxury of waiting much longer to make a blockbuster move.
