Padres Don't Know if Joe Musgrove Will Be in Starting Rotation Next Year

AJ Preller spoke on where Joe Musgrove could fit next season.

Oct 7, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove (44) reacts after a strikeout to end the top of the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game four of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The San Diego Padres have plenty of questions to answer this offseason.

One of the main points includes just how long the offseason will be due to the impending lockout, but among the most urgent team-specific questions is what the starting rotation will look like.

The issues with the rotation during the regular season were — for the most part — suppressed due to the dominant nature of the Padres bullpen. The relievers had the second-best ERA despite the second-highest usage rate in MLB.

Perhaps the suppressed issues were brought to light in October as the bullpen finally appeared to show its weaknesses following quite a few regrettable starting pitching performances.

One of the starting pitchers who added to the problem of a lighter rotation this past season (through no fault of his own), but then proved to be a trusted arm in October is veteran right-hander Joe Musgrove.

Despite sitting out two straight regular seasons, Musgrove made his 2026 debut this past postseason. Though he finally made it to the end of a long road to recovery, president of baseball operations AJ Preller revealed that nothing is guaranteed in regards to him rejoining the rotation in 2027.

“We’re not starting the offseason like he’s definitely our Opening Day starter next year, our No. 3 starter, our eighth-inning guy,” Preller said on a conference call with reporters this week. “That will be one of the questions for the offseason: What’s the best spot for Joe Musgrove? … That’s what the next couple weeks and months will be about — trying to figure out what’s the best place to put him in so he has a lot of success for us next year.”

After Musgrove underwent Tommy John surgery at the end of the 2024 campaign, the 2026 season was supposed to be the return of the nine-year Padre veteran. Complications with his elbow during spring training and countless setbacks on his way to recovery stifled his return until the postseason.

Musgrove closed out Game 1 of the wild-card matchup against the Chicago Cubs (in an electric season debut) and pitched the final two innings of Game 4 of the NLDS.

Even though Musgrove could have been the Opening Day starter this past season if his health allowed, everything will change heading into 2027. Musgrove will be 34 years old in December and his placement on the pitching roster can very well depend on which free agents return to the squad — and whether or not he can recover between starts next year or be better suited in the bullpen.

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