Padres Add Walker Buehler to Wave of Low-Risk Signings

The Padres added to their recent haul of low-cost, low-risk signings on Sunday by agreeing to a minor league deal with righty Walker Buehler.

San Diego has made a flurry of moves over the last week to fill out a roster that appears short on starting pitching and power. The team re-signed Michael King this offseason, but with Dylan Cease off to Toronto, Yu Darvish potentially retiring, and Joe Musgrove coming off Tommy John surgery, not much is certain in the rotation. Other than King and Nick Pivetta, nothing is truly locked in.

The Padres are deeply aware of what the 31-year-old Buehler can do after he tormented them for years during an eight-season run with the Dodgers. It could be suggested that the Friars only signed the two-time All-Star to avoid facing him. In 13 starts against San Diego during his career, Buehler is 7-1 with a 1.67 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP.

Buehler is coming off a season in which he struggled during stints with the Red Sox and Phillies. He went a combined 10-7, with a 4.93 ERA and a brutal 1.52 WHIP. In three late-season appearances with Philadelphia, he did look better, notching a 3-0 record, with a 0.66 ERA in 12 2/3 innings. San Diego will be hoping Buehler will be able to rediscover some of the magic that made him one of baseball’s best pitchers in 2021.

He is the latest in a string of former All-Stars who have joined the Padres on low-cost deals over the last few days. Nick Castellanos, Germán Márquez and Ty France all fit that description, and the team added Griffin Canning and Miguel Andújar as well.

Castellanos was the biggest news, as he signed on a minimum deal after being released by the Phillies last week. Philadelphia ate the $20 million left on his contract to sever ties with the 33-year-old, who is expected to compete for time at first base and designated hitter in San Diego.

Márquez, who has spent his entire 10-year career with the Rockies, will be returning to sea level as a Petco Park reclamation project. The 30-year-old went 3-16 with a 6.70 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP in 2025 for an awful Colorado team.

France will be returning to where it all started. The Padres selected him in the 34th round of the 2015 MLB draft, and he wound up reaching the big leagues in 2019. He was traded to the Mariners as part of the Austin Nola deal, and wound up reaching the All-Star game for Seattle in 2022. He bounced around to the Reds and Twins before landing on the Blue Jays at the trade deadline last year. His offense has fallen off since his Mariners days, but he won the AL Gold Glove at first base last season while slashing .256/.320/.360.

Andújar was excellent in limited games in 2025. While splitting time between the A’s and Reds, he played in 94 games and slashed .318/.352/.470, with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs. His .986 OPS vs. lefties will make him an ideal platoon option at DH.

Canning ruptured his Achilles tendon in June of last season, but was in the middle of a decent campaign at the time. Through 16 starts, he was 7-3, with a 3.77 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP and 70 strikeouts in 76 1/3 innings. The Padres hope he’s available for Opening Day or soon after.

No, the moves aren’t particularly exciting, but if one or two of the additions hit, the Padres will be thrilled.

More MLB on Sports Illustrated