Padres Expected to Pursue 3 All-Star Pitchers in Potential Blockbuster Trades

The San Diego Padres are expected to be aggressive ahead of the upcoming trade deadline this summer, with the front office looking to shore up the pitching staff.

San Diego has been able to stay afloat in the National League this season despite injuries and inconsistency throughout the rotation. This should lead the front office to make some big moves at the deadline, and there could be some All-Star pitchers available on the trade front.

If the Padres can add more to the rotation, it would help this team come playoff time. The starting rotation could get both Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove back before the year ends, too, but adding at the trade deadline still makes sense.

Padres insider Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune has reported that the team will be going after a few All-Star arms this deadline. Acee mentions Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers, Sandy Alcántara of the Miami Marlins and Freddy Peralta of the New York Mets as potential targets.

With this news, the big question is which All-Star pitcher should the Padres go after?

Case For Tarik Skubal

Skubal is the big fish for every team needing a starting pitcher this season. The left-hander will be a free agent at the end of the season, and the Tigers are being rumored to be more inclined to move him as their year spirals out of control.

If the Padres could land Skubal, it would give them a few extra months to convince him to stay in San Diego this offseason. This is the major benefit of trading for him, even with the chance that he could leave as a rental in the winter.

But adding the two-time Cy Young award winner would completely bolster the World Series chances for this club. Even with Skubal undergoing surgery this season, a trade could be worth it for the Padres, with the ace registering an ERA of 2.70 over 43.1 innings.

He's expected to return potentially as early as June.

Case For Sandy Alcántara

Alcántara has been linked to the Padres over the last few years, but his season has been fairly up and down. After a great start to 2026, the right-hander has come back down to earth a little bit.

Overall, he has posted an ERA of 4.66 over 12 starts, throwing 75.1 innings for the Marlins. Alcántara has been in trade talks for years, with the Marlins holding firm on a high price.

The veteran has a club option for $21 million in 2027, which would give the Padres some flexibility. But due to his injury history, the price it would take to land his services and his lack of consistency since coming back from Tommy John surgery, the Padres may want to look elsewhere.

Case for Freddy Peralta

Peralta is in the same boat as Skubal since he will be a free agent at the end of the season. But unlike Skubal, he may not cost as much to land in a trade, especially with how poorly the Mets have played this year.

The right-hander has been good for New York, throwing 61.1 innings over 11 starts, sporting an ERA of 3.52. Peralta has excellent stuff on the mound, with a five-pitch mix that can confuse hitters throughout a game.

The Padres were connected to Peralta over the offseason before he was traded to the Mets. Overall, going after Peralta makes the most sense between the three pitchers, as he is good enough to lead this team in the rotation going forward.

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