Padres Predicted to Trade for Former Cy Young Award Winner

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated Mar 25, 2026 4:13 PM ET

The San Diego Padres' 2025 postseason run was short-lived. After going 90-72 during the regular season and finishing second in the NL West behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego lost a Wild Card Series to the Chicago Cubs. Quickly into the offseason, the Padres had several players leave in free agency.

Among the losses was starting pitcher Dylan Cease. While the Padres have brought in several replacements, such as Walker Buehler, German Marquez, and Griffin Canning, replacing Cease won't be that easy. To make matters worse, manager Craig Stammen confirmed that Joe Musgrove will begin the 2026 season on the IL while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

San Diego Padres hat.© Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

With Musgrove out, the Padres' starting rotation will begin the season shorthanded. Even if he were to begin the year healthy, the unit is viewed as one of San Diego's most glaring holes.

Since taking over in 2014, A.J. Preller has gained a reputation as one of MLB's most aggressive general managers. The Athletic's Jim Bowden predicts he will keep things going in 2026 by acquiring Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara at the trade deadline.

Making his MLB debut in 2017 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Alcantara put together his best season with the Marlins in 2022. He won the NL Cy Young Award with a 2.28 ERA and 207 strikeouts in 228.2 innings.

However, he quickly regressed, putting together a 4.14 ERA in 2023 and a 5.36 ERA in 2025. The two-time All-Star also missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

While he will try to bounce back this year, Alcantara's trade market continues to fall. His five-year, $56 million contract is also set to expire after 2026, with a $21 million club option in 2027. The ability to quickly move on from Alcantara if he doesn't pan out makes him a relatively low-risk option for the Padres.

With the MLB trade deadline set for Aug. 3, the Padres have plenty of time to weigh their options.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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