For a while there, the rumor mill had the San Diego Padres linked to just about every big-name pitcher on the market. Tarik Skubal’s name kept popping up. And honestly? It never really made sense.
Skubal is having a monster season for the Detroit Tigers. He’s a lefty with elite stuff, under team control through 2026, and exactly the kind of pitcher contenders dream about adding at the deadline. The problem is, the Padres aren’t in a position to pay the freight for that kind of rental — even if Skubal isn’t technically a rental until next winter.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com addressed the Skubal-to-San Diego chatter on Tuesday. His take? Don’t hold your breath.
“Yet another team in the market for pitching depth, the Padres rank 12th in the NL with a 4.51 rotation ERA, using 12 starters this season thanks to a number of injury issues. Can Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta come back at full strength to save the day? Is president of baseball operations A.J. Preller willing to take that gamble? Adding a starter such as Michael Wacha or Seth Lugo could make sense, considering the Padres are unlikely to make the big splash for a top arm like Tarik Skubal. At least we think that’s the case; with Preller this time of year, you just never know.”
That last sentence is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Preller has a reputation for making moves nobody sees coming. But even he has to look at the math here.
Skubal would cost a haul in prospects, and the Padres’ farm system isn’t exactly overflowing right now. They’ve traded away a lot of young talent over the last few years to build the big-league roster. That bill is coming due. Adding Skubal for a half-season push — with the Dodgers and Braves looming as the class of the National League — is a gamble that could backfire hard if they don’t win it all.
And there’s no guarantee Musgrove or Pivetta come back healthy enough to stabilize the rotation. That’s a lot of uncertainty for a team that’s already used a dozen different starters this year.
What makes more sense? Going after a mid-tier arm like Wacha or Lugo, both of whom are having solid seasons and wouldn’t cost the moon. The Padres need innings, not headlines. They need someone who can give them five or six solid frames every fifth day. Skubal is a superstar, sure, but the Padres aren’t one arm away from dominating the postseason picture.
Sometimes the smartest trade is the one you don’t make. For San Diego right now, staying out of the Skubal sweepstakes feels like the right move. Whether Preller agrees is another question entirely.
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