Padres Scouted Struggling Blue Jays, Mets Starting Pitchers Ahead of Trade Deadline

The San Diego Padres are in search of upgrades within the starting rotation ahead of Monday's trade deadline.

Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has been scouring the market to see which pathways make the most sense for the organization. Some around the league believe that Preller's dream would be to land ace Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers, but it could be tough with the limited assets that the Padres have in the farm system.

Even without Skubal, there are other quality arms that the Padres could land. The team has recently been scouting a few starters who are expected to be available.

According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, San Diego was among the teams at starter Freddy Peralta's last start for New York Mets. Peralta has been linked with the Padres ahead of the deadline.

Additionally, Dennis Lin of The Athletic has reported that San Diego scouted right-hander Kevin Gausman of the Toronto Blue Jays. Gausman has underperformed this year, but he could be one of the more interesting arms available.

The Case For Freddy Peralta

Before Peralta was traded to the Mets last offseason, the Padres were interested in acquiring him. While he has struggled with New York, Peralta is seen around the league as a perfect bounce back candidate after a trade.

The right-hander could use a change of scenery, and the Padres would offer him more of a winning environment. Peralta has made 22 starts for New York this year, posting a 4.99 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP.

Peralta will be a free agent at the end of the season, so the cost would not be as high as some other names on the market. The right-hander is scheduled to make just $2.4 million after the deadline, which could intrigue the Padres who may not be able to add much payroll.

Even with the poor results, Peralta is still one of the better pitchers available, and if he could turn back into the ace he was last year, any team trading for him would be getting a steal.

The Case For Kevin Gausman

After the Blue Jays reached the World Series a year ago, not many could have foreseen Gausman being available at the trade deadline. But the team has underperformed, and with the right-hander an impending free agent, moving him makes sense.

Gausman has also made 22 starts this season for Toronto, posting a 4.51 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. His stuff has been fairly up-and-down this year, but he's a proven commodity that could boost the Padres' chances.

In the playoffs last season, Gausman came up huge for the Blue Jays, registering a 2.93 ERA while striking out 26 batters across six postseason appearances. The right-hander is scheduled to make $6.8 million after the deadline.

Should The Padres Go After Kevin Gausman or Freddy Peralta?

While the Padres do have other options to consider besides just Peralta or Gausman, each of these right-handers could be just what San Diego needs. Between the two, Gausman seems like he could be the better fit.

His proven playoff track record from last year could be perfect for the Padres, and he's had a more consistent year than Peralta. With the Padres wanting to compete for the postseason, having an experienced arm like Gausman could help.

The Padres should be getting both Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta back from injury soon, barring any setbacks. So, if the team were to trade for Gausman, the rotation could become a place of strength within the roster.

Sending out a playoff rotation of Pivetta, Musgrove, Michael King (assuming he's not traded), and Gausman could give the Padres a legitimate shot. Preller has his work cut out for him, but there are plenty of solid options for the Padres to consider ahead of the trade deadline.

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