Why the Orioles and Padres Are Perfect Trade Partners With Matching Roster Needs

The Baltimore Orioles desperately need to acquire a top of the rotation starting pitcher after swinging and missing on numerous occasions.

After letting pitchers such as Ranger Suarez, Dylan Cease, Michael King and Framber Valdez slip through their fingers, Baltimore once again has to pivot. 

President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias established early into to the offseason that acquiring a top of the rotation arm would be a priority. Fast forward three months, and Baltimore's only addition to their rotation has been Shane Baz who they acquired via trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. They also brought back veteran Zach Eflin on a cheap one-year, $10 million dollar deal. 

However, I believe Elias has a move or two up his sleeve prior to the start of spring training, and there's a team that could be a likely suitor. 

The free agent starting pitcher market isn't anything too special, but it does now consist of a lot of veterans that have proven postseason experience -- Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Zac Gallen and Chris Bassitt, just to name a few. 

But what if Baltimore elects to explore the trade market instead of free agency? 

The San Diego Padres have one of the deeper rotations in the National League, and could look into the possibility of trading away an arm or two for major league ready bats.  

Nick Pivetta is coming off a career year for San Diego, posting superb 2.87 ERA, 0.99 WHIP with 190 strikeouts in 181.2 innings of work. Pivetta signed a four-year, $55 million dollar contract with San Diego last offseason, and has proven to be worth every penny. 

Baltimore would greatly benefit by acquiring Pivetta, as he would slot in as Baltimore's number two starter, elevating their rotation as whole. Although Pivetta would be an awesome addition for Baltimore, he has a player option after the 2026 season, so if Baltimore were to acquire the starer it would most likely be a rental. 

I believe that San Diego would be a perfect fit for first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, as they currently have a hole at that position after Luis Arraez signed with the San Francisco Giants. 

Mountcastle is coming off a down year where he only appeared in 89 games, posting a .653 OPS with a .250 batting average. Although Mountcastle's 2025 campaign didn't go as planned, I expect him to have a bounce back 2026 season, especially with it being a contract year. 

A Pivetta for Mountcastle swap straight up wouldn't make sense for San Diego, so Baltimore would have to sweeten the pot a little bit. Players like Coby Mayo, Heston Kjerstad and Jeremiah Jackson could all be trade chips in a possible Pivetta to Baltimore deal. 

Elias may have to speed up the negotiation process, but San Diego's interest in Mountcastle and other prospects is unknown. 

Baltimore will remain active in the starting pitcher market, but the clock is ticking for Elias.