During the first quarter of the season, the San Diego Padres remain firmly in the mix for the NL West crown as they are currently only a half-game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.
They have done so despite the team’s offense struggling, particularly from their ‘star’ players. All-Stars Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill all have a sub-.700 OPS. San Diego has kept a strong record in large part due to strong contributions from their bench, bullpen and clutch performances late in games.
However, if the team plans to make a postseason run, the top of the lineup must improve. Additionally, San Diego must improve their starting rotation, which has already lost Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove to injury. As a result, the team is being pushed to target pitchers at the MLB trade deadline.
San Diego Padres Urged to Add Starting Pitching
Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller projected what every MLB team would do if the 2026 trade deadline was today. As for the San Diego Padres, Miller implored them to improve on their starting pitching, and perhaps targeting former Cy Young award winner Sandy Alcantara.
Miller wrote:
“By the actual trade deadline, the Padres rotation might be solid. They signed Lucas Giolito on the cheap in mid-April and he is likely to make his season debut this weekend. The hope is that Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove will also return somewhere around the All-Star Break. Combine that trio with Michael King and Randy Vásquez and that’s a formidable quintet.
As is, though? With Matt Waldron, Griffin Canning and Walker Buehler taking regular turns through the rotation? It’s just about a miracle that this team is leading this division with this pitching staff. San Diego would be all-in on someone like Sandy Alcantara or Jose Soriano if the deadline were today.”
While productive in recent seasons, Alcantara has not reached the levels of his Cy Young winning season in 2022. After returning from Tommy John surgery, Alcantara posted 5.36 ERA last season, although he still totaled 174.2 innings pitched. So far in 2026, Alcantara has improved with a 3.90 ERA, while leading MLB with 57.2 innings pitched.
Possibility of a Sandy Alcantara Trade
The San Diego Padres have been linked with Alcantara since last season, and with only a year and a half remaining on his contract, the Miami Marlins may be more inclined to move their ace. Despite their hot start to the season, the Marlins are now 20-24, and it would be surprising if they were in the postseason race at the trade deadline.
Regarding the Padres being willing to trade prospects for the pitcher, Fox Sports wrote:
“The Padres may feel they have to draw the line in the sand with gutting their farm system in trades (e.g., pulling off blockbuster trades for Blake Snell, Josh Hader, Juan Soto and Mason Miller), instead preserving their young prospect capital, while feeling that their rotation has the upside to turn a corner (King being healthy and Nick Pivetta building on a 2025 campaign that saw him post a career-best 2.87 ERA).”
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