The San Diego Padres have been a bit of a disappointment this season. Though they are 43-39 on the year, they are a half-game out of the third National League wild card spot, currently held by the St. Louis Cardinals.
They are in need of some starting pitching depth with the trade deadline approaching. They likely will not catch the back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, but some additional arms wouldn’t hurt.
Unfortunately for San Diego, Tarik Skubal doesn’t appear to be a very likely option. However, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com listed two former Padres, now teammates with the Kansas City Royals as potential fits.
“Yet another team in the market for pitching depth, the Padres rank 12th in the NL with a 4.51 rotation ERA, using 12 starters this season thanks to a number of injury issues,” Feinsand wrote. “Can Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta come back at full strength to save the day? Is president of baseball operations A.J. Preller willing to take that gamble? Adding a starter such as Michael Wacha or Seth Lugo could make sense, considering the Padres are unlikely to make the big splash for a top arm like Tarik Skubal.”
Could Padres Reunite With Old Friends
Feinsand did not propose the idea of San Diego landing both Wacha and Lugo. However, either one would make sense for the Padres. Each starter spent just one season with the Padres, that being 2023. However, that was the year that Lugo first emerged as a frontline starter, going 8-7 with a 3.57 ERA in 26 starts.
Wacha won 14 games with San Diego and posted a 3.22 ERA in 24 starts. He is enjoying the better 2026 season.
Both pitchers are under club control through the 2027 season. Each can be trusted to start a postseason game and would make sense as fits for the Padres. Wacha has the better track record there as well, having been named the 2013 NLCS MVP with the Cardinals as a rookie, and he is also slightly younger.
Both are former All-Stars though, so the Padres really couldn’t go wrong by choosing to target either one. They each bring veteran experience and could be leaders in the clubhouse, and that could be enough for them to turn their season around and snatch one of the three wild card spots.
Despite their struggles, the Padres are still very much in contention and should not be counted out of the playoff race.
Why Skubal is Unlikely
Skubal would certainly be every team’s preferred target, and he would make the Padres a lot better. However, their farm system is a bit depleted after the trade to acquire Mason Miller. They have a few top prospects that would make sense to move if they want Skubal, but the quantity just isn’t there.
This means that Skubal is unlikely for San Diego and will likely go to a team that can offer more prospects to the Detroit Tigers. It will be interesting to see what A.J. Preller is thinking with the deadline closing in.
Padres Named Fit for Pair of Royals Arms With Tarik Skubal Unlikely