Padres GM A.J. Preller talks starting pitching needs at GM Meetings

LAS VEGAS — The Padres checked the first box on their offseason to-do list, hiring Craig Stammen to be their next manager. Next up? Finding starting pitchers for Stammen to hand the ball to.

“Every year, every team in here is talking about starting pitching,†said Padres general manager A.J. Preller. “But especially with [Michael] King and [Dylan] Cease in free agency and [Yu] Darvishâ€s injury, itâ€s probably our top need going into the offseason.â€

This week marks the unofficial start of that offseason, with executives from all 30 front offices gathering for the General Managers†Meetings in Las Vegas. And, sure, every team needs starting pitching. But there arenâ€t many teams whose need is acute as the Padres. They enter the offseason with at least two openings in their rotation and depleted depth at the upper levels of their farm system.

So how does Preller address his starting-pitching shortage? Naturally, that subject dominated his media availability on Tuesday.

The traditional routes — trades and free agency

It would qualify as a major surprise if King and/or Cease were to accept a qualifying offer. And with Darvish set to miss the 2026 season due to elbow surgery, the Padres†need is a massive one. Of course, Joe Musgrove is slated to return from Tommy John surgery, so that will offset at least some of those absences.

Additionally… look at those four names. All four were acquired via creative offseason maneuvering from Preller. Sure, he doesnâ€t have the same caliber of farm system to deal from. But Preller has shown a knack for finding pitching talent.

And the Padres have shown a knack for developing it.

“A lot of the pitchers weâ€ve brought in from outside the organization have come in … and in a lot of cases, theyâ€ve gotten better,†Preller said. “I think that speaks to Ruben [Niebla] and his abilities and the pitching program thatâ€s in place that heâ€s led.â€

One of the most noteworthy aspects of the Stammen hire is the fact that Niebla is poised to remain as pitching coach, even after missing out on the manager job. Niebla has excelled in four seasons as pitching coach. His presence, plus a handful of other factors, make San Diego one of the most attractive destinations for pitchers.

“Weâ€ll use that to our advantage again this offseason,†Preller said. “Itâ€s not selling anybody. Itâ€s just kind of the facts, whatâ€s gone on the last couple years.â€

Preller can feel reasonably confident that — whoever the acquisitions are — his Niebla-led pitching department will get the most out of them.

The Mason Miller decision

Since they acquired Mason Miller in a Trade Deadline Day blockbuster, the Padres have largely avoided the question of Millerâ€s future as a starter or a reliever. They wonâ€t be able to do so for much longer.

Miller is perhaps the top relief weapon in all of baseball. But is his ceiling higher as a starter? And if so, is a transition to the rotation worth the risks? It sounds like these are discussions the Padres will finally be having over the next couple weeks.

“A big part of it is going to be sitting down with Mason, getting his thoughts in the next week or so, and making an informed decision,†Preller said.

The bullpen is one of the Padres†biggest strengths. But Preller at least seemed wary of what moving Miller could mean for that ‘pen.

“It was a big strength for us this year,†Preller said. “Youâ€re always balancing the need to get more innings. … What we want to make sure is that we donâ€t look up and have two mediocre units.â€

The other internal options

To review: As things stand, the Padres have Nick Pivetta back atop their rotation, with a healthy Musgrove expected to join him there. Randy Vásquez should slot in somewhere toward the back end. Beyond those three, there arenâ€t many proven options. But there are options.

JP Sears and Matt Waldron struggled last season. But if the Padres can get a bounceback from either of them, that would go a long way toward alleviating those depth concerns. Preller also mentioned Miguel Mendez, the Padres’ No. 5 prospect, as a name to watch after his swift rise through the system last year.

Thatâ€s not meant to discount the needs in the rotation. As Preller noted, itâ€s the “top need†on the current roster. How the Padres address it will largely define their offseason.

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