The San Diego Padres punched their ticket to the playoffs on Thursday, taking down the Los Angeles Dodgers in the process.
For the third straight season, San Diego will be in the dance, with the team looking to get over the hump. The Padres have a nice collection of talent on the roster, mixing veteran players with some youth to give them a strong group.
San Diego will be a wild-card team this year, and they are still trying to position themselves in the standings. But as the regular season winds down, the front office is also trying to look ahead to the upcoming offseason.
Even with the MLB lockout likely coming to baseball, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller likely has some tricks up his sleeve. Preller is known for his aggressive moves in the front office, and the Padres have been able to land multiple stars because of it.
Adding to that, the Padres have a new ownership group that seems determined to spend, and San Diego could have a strong winter. The biggest need for the Padres this winter will be in the starting rotation, and Preller could target some of the top names on the market.
Padres Predicted to Sign All-Star
One name who could be interesting for the Padres is veteran right-hander Freddy Peralta of the Tampa Bay Rays. Peralta has been a target of the Padres for some time now, and he will be hitting the open market at the conclusion of the 2026 season.
MLB analyst of Bleacher Report has predicted that Peralta will finally end up in San Diego this offseason. Buckley has Peralta signing a two-year deal with the Padres.
“He still might have to settle for a short-term prove-it pact before getting the kind of long-term deal he desires, which might helps the Rays’ hopes of retaining him. Then again, if someone opts to pay him for what his long-term track record says he’s worth, that might bump him out of Tampa’s price range,” Buckley wrote.
Should Padres Sign Freddy Peralta?
After early-season struggles with the New York Mets, Peralta has turned things around with the Rays. The right-hander has posted a 3.60 ERA over nine starts with Tampa Bay, showing signs of him getting back to being the ace he was a year ago.
With New York, Peralta recorded a 4.99 ERA over 22 starts. There was a lot of concern around him at the trade deadline, but Peralta has eased those issues with his play as a member of the Rays.
For the Padres, if they could sign Peralta, it would give them a legitimate ace to lead the starting rotation forward. San Diego is going to have multiple starters hitting the free-agent market this winter, and the front office may be looking to rebuild the entire rotation.
Peralta could be one of the better names available, and he would give this team a top-tier arm to work with. All in all, the right-hander could serve the Padres well, and San Diego could elect to bring in another arm or two to pair with Peralta moving forward.
Padres Predicted to Sign Two-Time All-Star in Massive Offseason Move