What Padres' AJ Preller Is Telling Us

For the last few years, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has made a blockbuster move late in spring training.

Last February, the San Diego Padres signed pitcher Nick Pivetta to a four-year, $55 million contract. The spring before that, the Padres acquired pitcher Dylan Cease via trade with the Chicago White Sox just before the team left for Korea to open the season.

With Opening Day less than a week away, it appears Preller won't be making a move like that before the 2026 season begins.

This is telling as the starting rotation is the Padres' biggest concern heading into the season — and yet, Preller has been silent.

Joe Musgrove, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, will begin the season on the injured list.

“Everything’s good with Joe. We’re just taking that little breather, like we talked about," manager Craig Stammen said. "Probably not making the beginning of the season, but we’ll have him at some point. Excited for him to get over this little hump, take a little breather and then get back at it."

Nick Pivetta and Michael King — who have both had worrisome springs — will need to anchor the rotation while Musgrove continues his recovery on the injured list to start the season. The Padres have also been evaluating several veteran pitchers this spring to add to the rotation.

Randy Vásquez is a lock in the rotation. He has a 4.15 ERA with 11 strikeouts across 13 innings of work in Cactus League games this spring.

The Padres are still searching for one or two more starters, given the absence of Musgrove to begin the season. Two candidates that could likely fill those holes in the rotation are Walker Buehler and Germán Márquez.

If Preller was really worried about the team's rotation, he would make a trade or sign a free agent as he has the last two years.

Lucas Giolito remains the top starter available on the market, but the Padres haven't shown a desire to add another starter via trade or free agency.

Why? Because Preller seems to feel good about the starting pitching.

Preller knows King can be one of the top starters in the National League, and once he gets out of this slump, the right-hander should flourish. Preller also knows Pivetta has the potential to anchor the Padres rotation in 2026, much like he did last season.

Preller has seen Vásquez be a workhorse for the rotation as he tossed 133.2 innings for the Padres in 2025. The former New York Yankees starting pitcher has turned heads in camp this spring and he's trending in the right direction.

While it's unclear whether the Padres rotation will feature Buehler or Márquez or both, the former is a two-time All-Star who has a reputation for shining when the lights are brightest.

After that, the Padres have some depth in the form of JP Sears, Marco Gonzales and Triston McKenzie. They have long relievers in the form of Logan Gillaspie and Kyle Hart.

Though there are some concerns surrounding the Padres rotation, Preller's actions (or lack thereof) should tell fans he trusts the caliber of starting pitching to open the season. Things could change once the trade deadline rolls around, but for now, San Diego is just fine.