3 free agent pitchers the Padres should monitor this offseason to bolster the rotation

The Padres will almost certainly punch their ticket to October, but there is one weakness on their roster that I don’t think can go unnoticed, and that is starting pitching. While Nick Pivetta and Michael King have done a fabulous job holding down the one and two spots in the rotation, and Dylan Cease being a serviceable third, the four and five spots have been very inconsistent.

With Cease hitting free agency, and the back of the rotation providing lackluster results, I think it is safe to say that A.J. Preller will be evaluating the starting pitcher market. There are three guys that he should be monitoring come winter meetings.

3 free agent pitchers the Padres should monitor this offseason

Merrill Kelly (Texas Rangers)

The 36-year-old right-hander has had a solid contract year, posting a 3.52 during his time split with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers. Going into free agency this offseason, his market value sits at an affordable $16.3 million, meaning that many teams will be in play for him.

With Cease likely departing, this is the perfect guy for Preller to target as his successor. While Kelly doesn’t blow you away with velocity, he generates a ton of chase, while also giving you quality innings.

Chris Bassitt (Toronto Blue Jays)

Bassitt, also 36, has had a slightly less productive season than Kelly. But he is another one of the more affordable starting pitchers on the market. In 2025, he posted an ERA of 3.96 over 170 innings of work. He throws eight different pitches, which keeps hitters guessing.

As a ground ball pitcher, Bassitt’s game will play well, as the Padres have an exceptional infield defense. He also doesn’t allow a ton of hard contact, which means he stays in the park. I could see him filling in as a good back-end starting pitcher.

Zack Littell (Cincinnati Reds)

Littell was traded from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Cincinnati Reds at the deadline this season, and he has been a solid addition to an elite starting rotation. In his time with the two clubs, Littell has posted a 3.86 ERA, doing so while posting one of the lowest walk rates in the league at 4.1%. The one issue with him is that he allows a ton of home runs, but they are usually solo shots. Similar to Kelly, he also generates a lot of chase.

His market value is the lowest of the three free agent targets, sitting at $12.8 million. He is also the youngest of the three, at only 29 years old. I could see Littell being a very solid fourth or fifth guy in the rotation, which is what the Padres desperately need.

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