Padres take a hopeful flier on an under-the-radar arm with real swing-and-miss

Heading into spring training, starting pitching will obviously be the biggest weakness on the Padres' roster, as they only have two impactful arms in the rotation in Nick Pivetta and Michael King.

The team will see Joe Musgrove return, but it isn’t a guarantee that he will be the same pitcher in 2026 that he was in the past, as he underwent Tommy John Surgery last season, which led him to miss the entirety of the season.

It is safe to say that the four and five spots in the rotation are up for grabs, with anyone being able to occupy them. Some candidates include Randy Vasquez, Kyle Hart, or whoever Preller decides to sign.

However, the team signed a right-hander to a minor league contract, and many believe he can fill a hole in what is an extreme weakness.

Padres add Michael Flynn as an under-the-radar K guy worth watching

We are talking about Michael Flynn, whom the Padres signed to a minor league contract on February 2. At 29 years of age, Flynn’s fastball averages around 91–92 mph, but the movement he generates is what really turns heads.

As Driveline Baseball put it, Flynn knows how to “fill up the strikezone.” A cutter with gloveside break coupled with a sinker with arm-side run is all you can ask for in a starter.

Flynn spent the majority of his minor league career with the Tampa Bay Rays, where he has pitched in 127 games. Flynn has posted a 5.87 ERA over 167 innings pitched, yielding a 7–12 win-loss record.

Despite the bad track record labeled by his stats, Flynn is seen as a pitcher with upside, with the pitch arsenal and command he has. With a need for starters, it would not be a surprise if the Padres took a chance on Flynn at some point during the season. Especially taking into consideration what the rotation looks like as of now, which utter dismay.