3 Padres players who should have a reduced role in 2025, if they're not traded first

Randy Vasquez is running out of time to prove he's a starter

It'll be a bitter pill to swallow, but the Padres might be best served to acknowledge the fact that right-hander Randy Vasquez might not be a viable major league starter. Acquired in the Juan Soto trade with the Yankees back in December of 2023, Vasquez struggled mightily with San Diego in 2024.

The righty made 20 starts with the Padres, limping to a 4.87 ERA with just 62 strikeouts in 98 innings. The main positive for Vasquez is that he did well to limit free passes, posting an above-average 6.7% walk rate.

On the other hand, his 14.1% strikeout rate was sixth-worst among all pitchers with at least 50 innings, and was in the 1st percentile among starters. He hasn't exactly been a big strikeout guy previously, especially recently, so there's not a ton of hope that Vasquez can take a big step forward without developing some kind of new pitch, or new approach.

If the Padres do trade Cease, it'll make it much more difficult to give up on Vasquez. He's still just 26 and it's within the realm of possibility that the Padres pitching lab can help him get things turned around. But realistically, Vasquez should be heading to the bullpen ASAP to see if that'll help him revive his potential.

AJ Preller did opt to grab former Orioles' prospect Juan Nuñez in the Rule 5 Draft last week, though the righty will likely be more suited for a bullpen role. Behind Nuñez, the Padres have guys like Omar Cruz, Ryan Bergert, and Jhony Brito who should be vying to steal innings from Vasquez in the early going next season.

The Padres should have a close eye on Vasquez from the get go. If they're unwilling to shift him to the bullpen ahead of Opening Day, they need to be quick on the jump to move him if things start going south for the righty, like they did in 2024.