Padres Rumors: ESPN insider says San Diego should steal postseason hero from Dodgers

Do the unwritten rules of baseball fall in line with the "eye for an eye" code? Well, even if they don't, the San Diego Padres might just want to get even with a divisional rival. The MLB offseason all but creates friendships among teams, and the hatred runs even deeper when we're talking about two World Series contenders hailing from the same division.

San Diego's NL West foes made a tremendous splash Tuesday signing former Friars Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell to a five-year deal worth $182 million. This is a gut punch for the Padres' front office that's looking to get over the hump of the Dodgers' evil empire and win a championship. The Dodgers, allowing Snell to stab his former club in the back, turns Los Angeles' starting rotation into a solidified All-Star carousel. To maintain pace with the Dodgers, what do the Padres do now?

While San Diego is doing everything possible to sign Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, there are other avenues they can navigate. The Padres can vie for left-hander Garrett Crochet, or aim tobolster their bullpen, but neither will quite get back at the Dodgers.

The Padres need to sign Walker Buehler. Now that Snell is Los Angeles' next saving grace, Buehler will likely be kicked to the curb in the Hollywood streets. As a homegrown Dodger, AJ Preller needs to pounce on this opportunity to ink the right-handed veteran to a deal.

In fact, in his most recent piece, ESPN insider Jeff Passan calls this the "perfect offseason transaction" for the Padres.

Padres Rumors: Former Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler could come to SD

The 30-year-old had been dealing with elbow and hip injuries in 2024, but pitched marvelously in his last three postseason appearances. In those outings, he combined for 10 scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts against the Mets and the Yankees. He even recorded the save in the World Series clincher, giving the Dodgers their second championship in the last five seasons. A postseason hero, maybe Buehler's best days aren't yet behind him.

This doesn't need to be a deal signed just out of spite, either. Buehler will be a key arm in a rotation that already bumps elbows with the best starters in the game. It could be the best of both worlds for the Padres if done correctly. Buehler won't cost nearly as much as Snell, so a fair contract could be all Buehler is looking for as he enters his 30s and looks to rebuild his value.

Who knows, we could see a Snell vs. Buehler heavyweight bout in the postseason, which would increase an already drama-filled series. Both pitchers have made two starts against the other team in their playoff careers, so the experience and backstory is already there. Get the popcorn ready if the Padres make this offsaeson splash, because it'll make for an even more entertaining 2025.