Predicting Padres-Red Sox Blockbuster Trade for $12.75 Million Star

The San Diego Padres have one of baseball's best lineups and arguably the best bullpen in Major League Baseball.

Their starting rotation has the chance to be one of MLB's worst.

On paper, the rotation is solid with Nick Pivetta, Michael King and Joe Musgrove as the headliners. However, Pivetta is trying to replicate what was by far the best season of his career in 2025 and is already dealing with arm fatigue. King is coming off a 2025 season in which he missed nearly four months due to injury. And Musgrove hasn't pitched since 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

There's no sure thing at the top of the rotation, and the bottom half is full of even more question marks.

Randy Vásquez is going to be the No. 4 starter, and the fifth starter to open the season will be either Germán Márquez, Walker Buehler, JP Sears, Marco Gonzales or Triston McKenzie. Matt Waldron and Griffin Canning will be options when healthy, but neither present a sure thing, either.

With that being said, the Padres could look to stabilize their rotation, and the Boston Red Sox have just the player to make it happen.

The Red Sox are a perfect trading partner for the Padres

The Red Sox have an influx of starting pitching talent thanks to a busy offseason. Garrett Crochet is joined by Ranger Suárez to form one of the the best 1-2 punches in MLB. After that, the additions of Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo give Boston plenty of depth alongside the returning Brayan Bello.

The Red Sox also have multiple players waiting in the wings in Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval — who both missed the entire 2024 season due to injury — and top prospects Payton Tolle and Connelly Early.

Thus, the Red Sox can trade from their surplus of starters, and Sandoval, who the team has reportedly discussed in trade talks this offseason, is a perfect candidate to stabilize San Diego's rotation.

Prediction: Padres acquire Patrick Sandoval from Red Sox.

Why a trade for Patrick Sandoval makes sense for the Padres

The Padres should take advantage of Boston's influx of starters by adding Sandoval, who missed all of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery but is almost two years removed from the procedure.

Sandoval hasn't made his Cactus League debut yet but has looked sharp in Red Sox camp, already touching 94-95 mph. He's competing for the final spot in the Opening Day rotation but is unlikely to win the job. At this point, he's more likely to open the season in the bullpen in a multi-inning relief role.

Rather than open the season in the bullpen, the Padres can pounce, adding him to be the team's No. 5 starter. In return, the Red Sox can add a left-handed reliever like Yuki Matsui, or ask for a couple prospects which would turn their $18.25 million investment in Sandoval into a solid one for the future.

Sandoval's best year as a pro was in 2022, when he made 27 starts and had a 2.91 ERA with 151 strikeouts across 148.2 innings. He then had a 4.11 ERA in 2023 before struggling across 16 starts in 2024 that ultimately led him to undergo surgery.

Sandoval, still only 29 years old, is now healthy and playing in a contract year. He would give the Padres consistent starts form the No. 5 spot while also adding some variety to the rotation as the lone left-handed starter. It would also give the Padres a leg up in his upcoming free agency assuming the two sides are a good match.

If the Padres don't feel he can be built up to start by Opening Day, he could open the season in the bullpen in a multi-inning role. He could then transition into the starting rotation if the No. 5 starter struggles, or if King or Musgrove need some rest as they transition back to full-time pitching.

A trade for Sandoval wouldn't cost much, and it would give the Padres a much-needed proven arm in the back of their rotation. This would be the final move for San Diego to finalize its roster ahead of Opening Day.