Padres Linked to Multiple Veteran Pitchers as They Seek Rotation Depth

The Padres are looking to upgrade their pitching staff, with several mid-tier free agents emerging as potential targets.

The front office has held conversations regarding Nick Martinez, Lucas Giolito and Justin Verlander as it looks to add depth to a rotation that lost its primary innings-eater, Dylan Cease, this offseason.

With the top free agents now off the board, the second tier of players has begun negotiating with teams that were unable to land marquee names - a group that includes San Diego.

Martinez, a 35-year-old hybrid arm, suffered a down year in Cincinnati. He finished with a 4.45 ERA - his highest since 2017 - along with a 17% strikeout rate. On the positive side, Martinez remained durable, tossing over 165 innings. That reliability would help replace some of Cease's workload, as he was one of only two Padres pitchers to reach that number in 2025.

He has also previously found success in San Diego, serving as a reliable backend reliever and spot starter in 2022 and 2023. Over those two seasons, he logged 216.2 innings with a 3.45 ERA.

Giolito, meanwhile, would bring the momentum of his bounce-back season in Boston. After nearly falling off the map, he recovered with a 3.41 ERA, 10 wins and 145 innings pitched. He played a key role in the Red Sox playoff push before undergoing right UCL surgery.

The concern with Giolito lies in his underlying metrics. He finished 2025 with a 4.99 xERA and 4.59 xFIP, aided by a .273 BABIP allowed. His All-Star history shows that the talent is legit, but sustaining his 2025 production will be a challenge.

Then there’s future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander. This would come as a surprise given that he competed for the division rival Giants last season, but if Verlander wants to prolong his career on a contender, San Diego is a great fit.

Despite not recording his first win until July 23, Verlander posted a respectable 3.85 ERA and matching FIP. After a disastrous 2024 campaign in Houston when he threw just 90.1 innings with a 5.48 ERA, he showed enough last season to suggest he can still contribute to a playoff-caliber team.

With a rotation filled with question marks, it’s understandable why A.J. Preller is searching for additional pitching. Nick Pivetta was outstanding, but some regression appears likely given his 3.95 xERA in 2025.

Joe Musgrove and Michael King both have ace-level potential if they stay healthy — emphasis on if they stay healthy. King threw just 73 innings last season, and Musgrove is recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The final two projected starters, J.P. Sears (5.10 FIP) and Randy Vásquez (4.85 FIP), are better suited as depth or upside options based on their track records. Locking them both into the back end of the staff will hurt the teams record if they start out cold.

Who exactly the solution is remains unclear, but two things are certain: the Padres need pitching, and Preller is searching for answers.