Padres Linked to $15.5 Million All-Star Starting Pitcher in Trade From NL Contender

The San Diego Padres starting rotation has been running on fumes as of late, and it's unclear when reinforcements like Yu Darvish and Michael King will return.

Darvish began the season on the injured list and has not made his return to the mound almost halfway through the year. King landed on the IL with a pinched nerve in May, and his timetable to rejoin the rotation remains up in the air.

Therefore, the Padres front office has their work cut out for them as the July 31 trade deadline quickly approaches. Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta is a potential trade target for San Diego.

The Padres have been named a best fit for Peralta, along with the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks and Baltimore Orioles. The right-handed pitcher has a 20 percent chance of being traded this summer, according to ESPN.

"Peralta has been a steady presence for years, averaging 140 innings pitched with a 3.49 ERA over the past four seasons," the ESPN staff writes. "He's on track to do that again, with his heavily used fastball coming in at a career-high average velo of 94.9 mph this season. He has an ultra-cheap $8 million option for 2026."

President of baseball operations A.J. Preller all but confirmed the Padres will be buyers at the deadline, but it remains to be seen whether the team has enough trade capital to entice teams like the Brewers.

“We’ve had years where we’ve been aggressive. We’ve had years where we stood pat. We’ve had years where we’ve pivoted and dealt for prospects and minor-league players. I think your team kind of tells you where we’re at. I think we’re always open-minded,” Preller said. “And I think for right now, it’s looking like we’re hoping to add to the club we have, but we’re always going to be open to what direction we need to go and that makes the most sense for the team for now and the future.”

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