Padres Actively Discussing Trade Involving Key Reliever: Report

The MLB trade deadline is now under two weeks away, and the San Diego Padres still aren't giving a clear answer on what direction the front office will take.

San Diego is in the rare position where they could both buy and sell this year, making for an interesting few weeks. The biggest name around the Padres if they become sellers has been star closer Mason Miller, who could net the team a haul of prospects.

But according to MLB insider Jon Heyman, the Padres may be looking to move another bullpen arm. Left-hander Wandy Peralta has reportedly been actively discussed in trade talks as the Aug. 3 deadline nears.

One Padres reliever actively being discussed in trades is Wandy Peralta, solid lefty with a 2.32 ERA
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 22, 2026

Peralta has put together a strong season for the Padres this year, sporting a 2.32 ERA over 50.1 innings pitched. The left-hander has mainly come out of the bullpen, but he has also shown the ability to start games as an opener.

The versatility of Peralta could be intriguing for opposing teams that may need more bullpen help, giving the Padres options to work with. San Diego just activated Peralta from the Bereavement List after the All-Star break.

The left-hander has posted a 3.63 ERA over his 11 years in the major leagues.

The idea of the Padres possibly trading Peralta is interesting, as he's been one of the more crucial pieces to the bullpen this year. But the veteran could become a free agent at the end of the season, with him holding a player option for $4.45 million in 2027 that he will surely decline after a strong year.

Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller may want to get some assets for Peralta rather than potentially lose him in free agency for nothing. Moving Peralta could also indicate that the Padres are exploring other avenues to avoid trading Miller.

With Preller at the helm, nobody on the roster is safe, but Miller is easily the biggest trade chip that San Diego has to work with. The Padres built the bullpen as the core of this roster, so breaking up the depth wouldn't make a lot of sense.

On the flip side, though, the Padres have so many needs on the roster, that dealing from a strength (the bullpen) makes sense to plug up other holes. And if San Diego doesn't want to part with its cheat code in Miller, moving someone like Peralta makes sense.

If the Padres ultimately end up trading Peralta, it wouldn't be a surprise if they were getting a major league player back in return — say, a right-handed bat.

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