Padres interested in free agent starters Freddy Peralta And Nick Martinezaccording to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. Matthew Boyd is another interesting name for the team, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, although Acee notes that the Padres have “shown some level of interest in virtually every starting pitcher on the market…rather than list the starters the Padres have talked about, suffice it to say there is virtually no starting pitcher they aren’t considering.”
The rotational thrust is understandable given that Michael King, Nick Pivetta, Walker Bühler, Casey Mize, Robbie RayAnd Griffin Canned Foods are all free agents. This leaves San Diego with a current starting lineup of Randy Vasquez, JP Sears, Joe Musgrove (who can be used in the bullpen), newly signed swingman candidate Ryan Weissand maybe Yu Darvishif the veteran still wishes to continue his career.
Suffice it to say, the Padres need to fill at least four and possibly five rotation spots this winter, leaving the team to search every corner of the starting pitching market (and undoubtedly the trade market as well). Peralta, Martinez and Boyd represent a range of potential entries and prizes for the brothers. On our list of the top 50 free agents of the offseason, MLBTR projected Peralta for a five-year, $110 million deal, Martinez for two years and $42 million, and Boyd for a one-year, $13 million deal.
Peralta’s final price tag will be particularly interesting to evaluate, as the right-hander struggled with the Mets before returning to his old form after a deadline trade with the Rays. It’s possible a back-to-back five-year, nine-figure commitment won’t be there for Peralta if teams are wary of his extended cold spell in New York, which could present an opening for a creative executive like Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller. The Padres’ past deals with King and Pivetta included opt-out clauses, so it could be that Peralta is open to such an early exit in order to re-enter the market on a stronger platform year.
Martinez is no stranger to these types of contracts with the Padres, as he signed two different deals with San Diego after returning to the majors following a four-year stint in Japan from 2018 to 2021. Martinez worked as both a starter and reliever for two seasons with the Padres, and 2026 marked the first time in his nine MLB seasons that the right-hander worked exclusively as a starter. The result was a very solid season in Tampa Bay’s rotation, landing Martinez on a multi-year deal even though he’s already 36 years old.
Boyd is also entering his age-36 season and has missed time due to arthroscopic knee surgery in 2026. The left-hander has a long health history, but (aside from last year’s torn meniscus) he has been generally healthier over the past two seasons with the Cubs, delivering a 3.50 ERA in 306 1/3 innings. Boyd projects as a third type of starter at best, but it would be good for the Padres if they could land other front-line weapons who are clearer candidates to start a playoff game.
After weighing numerous options at general managers’ meetings, Preller told Acee and other reporters that he will speak next week with new owners Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones as well as team CEO Erik Greupner to discuss the Padres’ spending capacity. “Jose and Kwanza are open to those conversations, open to what it means of a different amount and different contractual commitments, and I hope we make good decisions.” Preller said.
As Feliciano and Jones enter their first full season at the helm, Acee writes that the duo plans to spend at least as much on payroll as they did in 2026 and for San Diego to be at least a top 10 payroll club. MLBTR’s Payroll Tracker calculates the Padres’ 2026 payroll of approximately $224 million to be ninth in the league, with a luxury tax figure of approximately $269.4 million that ranks sixth among all teams.
Looking ahead to next year, San Diego has just over $193 million on its books and a tax number of about $192.6 million, which allows Preller some flexibility. To some extent, Feliciano and Jones might feel obligated to increase their spending out of sheer need, given the Padres’ needs not only in the rotation, but also in the bullpen and some roster holes.
As for the relief corps, Acee writes that the Padres had some interest in Evan Phillips before the right-hander signed a three-year, $35 million contract with the Braves. The Friars have seen a lot of Phillips in his six seasons with the Dodgers, and at the very least, the Padres will be happy to see him leave the NL West – Phillips has a sparkling 1.19 ERA over 22 2/3 career innings against San Diego.
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