This story was excerpted from AJ Cassavell’s Padres Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
SAN DIEGO — We’re less than a week away from the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Fla., where the Padres have plenty of business to get done.
In some respects, their 2026 roster was already shaped at the Trade Deadline, when they added Mason Miller, Freddy Fermin and Ramón Laureano. But there are still plenty of holes elsewhere — particularly in the rotation.
Last year was a relatively quiet Winter Meetings for the Padres. But general manager A.J. Preller has a history of making big moves at baseball’s annual offseason extravaganza.
My guess? This year’s business will fall somewhere in between. It won’t be as quiet as last year. But I wouldn’t expect a blockbuster of the Wil Myers/Xander Bogaerts/Juan Soto variety either.
Here’s a rundown of what you need to know ahead of the Winter Meetings, which begin on Monday:
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: The Padres need starting pitching. And while this is true of every team every offseason, it’s especially true of these Padres. They’re squarely in their contention window with a mostly complete offense and an elite bullpen. But they have three reliable starters on their 40-man roster.
So … Preller has work to do. He’ll need to find his next Nick Pivetta — an especially shrewd signing from last offseason, as Pivetta quickly ascended into an ace. And then he’ll probably need to add two more starters beyond that.
Additionally, the Padres should also be after a first base/DH-type bat and possibly a lefty reliever for the middle innings (though their bullpen is already plenty deep).
Potential trade candidates
Our Mark Feinsand recently named one trade candidate for all 30 clubs, and Jake Cronenworth was his Padres pick. I see the logic. Cronenworth is a versatile and valuable player. Surely, the Padres could get some decent value and perhaps save resources to allocate elsewhere.
I also think it’s unlikely. Cronenworth is a staple of this roster, and if you trade him you open up a major need at a position that’s tough to fill.
More likely is that the Padres could look to deal Luis Campusano, a change-of-scenery candidate, who was tendered a contract last month. Maybe they’d also look to deal from their relief depth for some bench depth.
Ethan Salas is the Padres’ top prospect, and it’s hard to overstate just how important his 2026 season will be. After missing nearly the entire ‘25 campaign with a stress reaction in his lower back, Salas needs to prove he’s still capable of tapping into the potential that once had him as a consensus top-10 overall prospect.
Meanwhile, 23-year-old righty Miguel Mendez was recently added to the team’s 40-man roster to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft. At the GM Meetings, Preller named him as a prospect who could make an impact with the big league club this season. That won’t stop the Padres from adding multiple starting pitchers. But after the season Mendez had in 2025 — a 3.22 ERA with 118 strikeouts over 95 innings — he’s a name to watch.
Last month, the Padres added Mendez and fellow right-hander Garrett Hawkins to their 40-man roster, thus protecting them from the Rule 5 Draft. They still have a handful of Top 30 prospects who could be selected: left-hander Jagger Haynes (No. 10), right-hander Francis Pena (No. 20), infielder Romeo Sanabria (No. 21), right-hander Isaiah Lowe (No. 27) and right-hander Victor Lizarraga (No. 28).
Of course, it’s also entirely possible the Padres would look to make an addition in the Rule 5 Draft. They have a whopping six spots open on their 40-man roster. Two years ago, with similar roster space, they added Stephen Kolek, who blossomed into a useful reliever in 2024, then a successful starter in ‘25 before he was dealt in the Fermin trade.
What happens with Miller?
There’s an obvious spot at the back end of the bullpen for him, with Robert Suarez departing in free agency. Down the stretch last season, no pitcher was more dominant than Miller, and he quickly proved his value on the October stage with two incredible relief outings against the Cubs.
Then again, is there more value to be extracted from Miller as a starter? And if so, how big are the risks? Are they worth it? The Padres are asking themselves — and Miller — these questions right about now. The answers could seriously shape their direction this winter.
