Padres Reliever Named Biggest Trade Chip Ahead of Deadline

The San Diego Padres entered the 2026 season with the intent to have one of the best bullpens in baseball.

Part of this thought was that the relief pitchers could help offset some of the uncertainty within the starting rotation, giving the Padres some comfort late in games. So far this season, this plan has worked out well, as San Diego has an extremely talented group of relief pitchers.

But even with the strong bullpen, the Padres have faltered over the last few weeks, seeing themselves fall in the standings. This could have the Padres' front office look to be active at the trade deadline this summer, and the team does have a few quality players it could move to upgrade other parts of the roster.

One of these is veteran relief pitcher Yuki Matsui, who has been excellent for San Diego this season. MLB insider AJ Cassavell listed Matsui as one of the bigger trade chips for the Padres with the deadline slowly approaching.

"The Padres have an overabundance of relief weapons, and Matsui is off to an excellent start to the season," Cassavell wrote. "If the Padres could move Matsui (and his $13.5 million remaining salary over the next couple seasons), they’d have the bullpen depth to make up for his absence. And Matsui might be interesting enough to land something of a return."

In 13 appearances this season, Matsui has posted an ERA of 1.83 for the Padres, giving them a shutdown left-hander for the bullpen. De to his contract, the team could elect to trade him now, helping them save some money over the next few years.

Matsui has wanted a larger role this season following his strong start, but he may not have the chance with the Padres. So a trade could help both sides achieve what they desire, and there are multiple teams that could be interested in adding the veteran.

“Right now, I’m taking on obviously a non-leverage multi-inning spot,” Matsui said recently. “But continuing to do well for what I’m giving, then hopefully I will move up and pitch in more important, more leverage situations.”

Since joining the Padres before the 2024 season, Matsui has been a consistent presence in the bullpen. This season has been the best year to date for the left-hander, and he's looking to continue this success moving forward.

With the Padres' need for more offense or another starting pitcher, Matsui could be placed into a deal as the team lacks a strong farm system. The Padres have multiple other arms for the bullpen that can help offset the potential loss of the lefty, making him a solid trade candidate.

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