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The San Diego Padres' starting rotation endured a disastrous 2025 season, and that weakness could push the front office to pursue a pitcher who is currently shining on baseball's biggest stage.
Joe Musgrove was slated to be the Opening Day starter, but a series of setbacks delayed his season debut until the wild-card round. Nick Pivetta enjoyed a career year in 2025, yet his follow-up campaign was interrupted by nearly five months on the sidelines. New addition Walker Buehler struggled through a rough first half, Griffin Canning ended the year with a 5.68 ERA, and Lucas Giolito, brought in to fill Pivetta's void, managed only 29.2 innings with a 5.16 ERA before his season ended in late June.
At the trade deadline, the Padres acquired Cy Young winner Robbie Ray to address the issue, but his ERA climbed from 3.08 before the trade to 5.02 afterward. All-Star Casey Mize suffered a similar fate, seeing his ERA balloon from 2.70 to 7.46 post-deal.
All of those pitchers except Musgrove could become free agents this offseason, and nothing is guaranteed for the 2027 roster (though Pivetta's $14 million team option could be exercised). Even Michael King, the team's most effective starter in 2025 with a 3.21 ERA over a career-high 32 starts and 185 innings, holds a player option he is likely to decline.
With the rotation mired in uncertainty, the Padres would be wise to take control of their destiny, and president of baseball operations AJ Preller is the ideal executive to do so.
Key Analysis
If Preller can swing a trade for Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen, the 2027 rotation would receive an immediate boost. Rasmussen is coming off a regular season in which he posted a 2.67 ERA and earned his second consecutive All-Star selection. The 30-year-old led the American League in WHIP (0.913) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.44). In three postseason starts spanning 21 innings, he has recorded a minuscule 1.29 ERA. His 174 strikeouts against just 32 walks over a career-high 172 innings are particularly encouraging for a Padres team that ranked fourth-fewest in innings pitched by starters.
Rasmussen has a $20 million club option for 2027 that the Rays are expected to exercise, but according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, Tampa Bay will explore a trade if it is uncomfortable committing to the largest one-year contract in franchise history. The Padres should aggressively pursue Rasmussen, who would instantly become the team's ace and, with an expiring contract, would come at a reduced trade cost. While San Diego must remain mindful of payroll, $20 million for a true ace would be a bargain as the club reshapes its starting rotation this offseason.