The struggling San Diego Padres face tough decisions as their Opening Day ace emerges as a surprising trade candidate amid a dismal start.
The San Diego Padres currently sit with just one win in their first five games of the new season, only enough to sit in fourth place in the National League West division. It’s certainly not the start that fans dreamt of, but of course, there’s the entire season left to play and get things back on track.
With that said, there are concerning signs coming out of San Diego in their race to finally get atop the NL West.
For one, the offense production has been nonexistent. San Diego ranks dead last in the MLB in OPS, slugging, and is batting .182 as a team. Still yet to score over three runs in a game heading into Wednesday’s game, the Padres have been frustrating to watch at the plate despite having stars like Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackson Merrill.
The pitching staff hasn’t done enough to soften the blow of the poor offense, as it is ranking in the bottom half of the league through the first chunk of games. Placing in the bottom 10 for opposing batting average, ERA, and WHIP, the Padres are not in a good spot to win against any team in the league right now.
Despite their hopes of turning it around and leaping over the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the division by the year’s end, the realistic outcome is likely going to be a different story.
Perhaps the right move for the Padres is to sell some pieces in order to bounce back stronger next season. That is exactly what Bleacher Report suggests in their new article ranking trade candidates a week into the 2026 campaign.
Padres’ right-hander Nick Pivetta was ranked No. 7 on the list of candidates with two more years under contract after this season. It comes after the 33-year-old’s name was tossed around in rumors during the offseason, though he ultimately remained in the Padres’ pinstripes for this year.
BR’s reasoning for a hypothetical move is San Diego’s poor chances in the division and Pivetta’s interest if he were placed on the trade market. He could serve as a crucial pickup for a team making that final push come the trade deadline in July, and if the Padres keep trending in the direction they are, it would unfortunately be the smart choice for the club.
The Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and Houston Astros were listed as three teams that would be potential landing spots for the 10-year veteran.
After a career year in 2025 in his first season with the Friars, posting a 2.87 ERA and 5.2 WAR, Pivetta has looked a little rusty to start 2026. He made three starts in spring, allowing 11 runs in 12 innings. His first start of the regular season also didn’t go as planned, allowing six runs in just three innings before being pulled. Pivetta will be returning to the mound on Wednesday afternoon.
Hopefully, Pivetta can shake off the rust and get back to the production levels he reached last season, but if not, it would only make it even more enticing for the Padres to find a trade partner before this year’s deadline.