Padres’ starting rotation clarity may take longer than fans are hoping for

As we were approaching the news we had been waiting on with Dylan Cease and Michael King, and the future of both looked bleak. However, there are reports emerging that should make Padres fans a little hopeful about the future.

Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune projected the Padres to cancel out the losses of Cease and King by acquiring a mid-tier starting pitcher via trade.

Padres’ starting rotation questions could linger deep into the offseason

President of baseball operations A.J. Preller believes this team can contend in 2026 despite losing some big names in free agency, on top of having a minimal amount of payroll to work with.

“Our goal and outlook, and perspective remain the same as they have been,” Preller said. “That is every last dollar we have, we put into payroll.”

The Padres have around $80 million in available payroll for 2026. This is largely due to declining the mutual option of Michael King. With this, the team can invest money in other parts of the roster, especially on the right side of the infield. With Luis Arrárz and Ryan O’Hearn set to depart, Preller will need to patch those holes.

The money should go into position players, and the front office should attack big-name starting pitchers on the trade market.

We just saw the St. Louis Cardinals trade Sonny Gray, a veteran starting pitcher, to the Boston Red Sox. Not only will this set the market when it comes to trading for front-end starters, but it also provides a blueprint of what the Padres should do to address the position.

It is now more obvious than ever that San Diego should be contacting teams that are looking to sell. Perhaps inquire with the Minnesota Twins about either Joe Ryan or Pablo Lopez, who could certainly be traded over the offseason.

The recent trade by the Cardinals on Nov. 25, along with the report from Kevin Acee, provides us with information on what Preller may look to do in the next couple of weeks.