The San Diego Padres are reassessing their strategy ahead of the July 9, 2026 trade deadline after a severe midseason slump dropped them below .
500 and out of the National League playoff picture.
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President of Baseball Operations A. J.
Preller faces a critical decision following an eight-game losing streak capped by an 8-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
San Diego now trails the Los Angeles Dodgers by double digits in the division and sits five games behind the final Wild Card spot, according to SB Nation and East Village Times.
Injuries have devastated the starting rotation.
Yu Darvish suffered a season-ending injury before Spring Training, while Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta landed on the injured list early.
Pitchers Matt Waldron, German Marquez, and Randy Vasquez also missed time, and outfielder Ramon Laureano is out, further depleting depth per Yahoo Sports.
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Potential Trade Targets and Assets
If the Padres seek starting pitching, analysts point to New York Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta as a strong fit.
“Rather than swing for Skubal or Ryan, the Padres are more likely to take a chance they can get Peralta back on track, given that the prospect price to acquire him will be much lower than it was before the season,” said MLB insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic.
Peralta has a 4.68 ERA over 100 innings in 19 starts for the Mets after being acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in the offseason, per Sports Illustrated.
Conversely, continued struggles could force a sell-off to rebuild the farm system.
Key trade chips include reliever Mason Miller (22 saves, 0.98 ERA, 67 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings), left-hander Adrián Morejón, and second baseman Jake Cronenworth, according to Friars on Base.
Starting pitcher Michael King is another major asset.
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King signed a three-year, $75 million deal before 2026 without a no-trade clause, making him attractive to contenders, reported East Village Times.
