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Wandy Peralta’s $4.45 million return leaves Padres with a bullpen trust problem

We’ve penciled in the salary. But who’s taking the seventh?
ByTremayne Person
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Sep 5, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Wandy Peralta (58) walks off the field during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images
Sep 5, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Wandy Peralta (58) walks off the field during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Padres got 77 1/3 innings from Wandy Peralta this season. Finding him a place on their initial postseason rosters seemed to be a much bigger ask. We know the Padres can use him. But we’re still waiting to see how much San Diego trusts him.

Peralta exercised his $4.45 million player option for 2027, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The decision brings back a veteran who handled a decent workload at a manageable salary across a long season.

We also watched the Padres leave him off their initial Wild Card and NLDS rosters. That choice deserves to be in the conversation with him this offseason. Peralta earned his money over six months and still left his team searching for someone else to help in critical situations.

The Padres need a clearer plan for Wandy Peralta

Peralta’s 3.61 ERA makes his season look fairly comfortable. The way he got there tells us a lot more.

His ground ball rate fell from 59.7 percent in 2025 to 45.6 percent in 2026. He only struck out 15.6 percent of opposing hitters. His best work has depended on getting hitters to pound the ball into the dirt. Losing that much of the strength that defines him puts more pressure on the defense.

Both his expected ERA and SIERA finished at 4.32. But there were positives to take away from Peralta’s season, too. He posted a career-best 7.2 percent walk rate while carrying the heaviest workload of his career. He kept showing up, challenged hitters by staying in the strike zone and gave the Padres innings they needed.

Peralta’s return should come with a specific assignment and a serious effort to restore his ground ball production. He’s 35, with limited strikeout punch, he needs that part of his game working. The Padres should build their expectations around what his pitches can support.

We also shouldn’t turn $4.45 million into an argument that he must handle bigger situations. His salary is more in line with a useful veteran reliever who isn’t asked to take on too much. Every higher-pressure assignment still has to be earned.

Peralta has already shown he can take the ball. The Padres need to figure out when they feel good handing it to him.

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