Padres prospect Justin DeCriscio is building a case as a future bench piece. He climbed to Double-A San Antonio this season and now has a .356 OBP in the Arizona Fall League, with praise for his shortstop defense. Versatility is the next assignment. 🧤
Padres' NLDS exit looks better as Brewers near a World Series sweep: San Diego is Milwaukee's only postseason loss, and no game was decided by more than two runs. Close, but the roof cable and a bases-loaded walk in Game 2 kept it from being more. 🔒
Padres Hot Tub brings back Union-Tribune beat reporter Kevin Acee, a year after his last appearance, to review the Padres' 2026 season and preview the coming offseason with Craig Elsten and Raphie Cantor. 🛁
Padres gave 20-year-old Japanese righty Tatsuya Nogami a $300,000 minor league deal, skipping NPB entirely. He struck out 54 in 25 1/3 innings in college semi-hardball, and now faces a regulation ball and pro hitters. ⚾
Speculation: NPB's Carter Stewart Jr. could fit the Padres' 2027 rotation, which faces uncertainty with Michael King and Nick Pivetta possibly leaving. He's pitched as a Nick Martinez-style swingman option with upside, and Preller has looked overseas before. 🔍
Padres prospects are making noise in the Arizona Fall League. OF Alex McCoy (No. 26 prospect) has a .989 OPS and four homers, one shy of the AFL lead, including a two-run walk-off blast for Peoria. RHP Francis Peña is also highlighted. 🔥
Signing Tarik Skubal is still a long shot, but it would show how far Padres ownership will go with this core. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel projects roughly eight years and $355 million, and ranks San Diego the top sleeper bidder. Big swing, bigger commitment. ⚾
Ex-Padres prospect Robert Gasser, sent to Milwaukee in the 2022 Josh Hader trade, starts Game 3 of the World Series with the Brewers up 2-0 on the Rays. He's allowed one run in nine postseason innings, and that run came against San Diego. ⚾
Padres' thin farm system should push ownership to spend this winter, per the argument. Biggest needs are first base and left-handed relief; free agency could fill them while preserving prospects, with Ethan Salas and Tucker Musgrove the only top-10 names near 2027 help. 💰
Yankees righty Luis Gil is pitched as a Padres trade target, not a done deal. The 2024 AL Rookie of the Year has slipped through injuries, but the idea is that Ruben Niebla could fix him as A.J. Preller rebuilds the rotation. 🔧
Padres offseason watch: Michael King's $28M option (with $5M buyout) and Yuki Matsui's opt-out could create holes, while Jake Cronenworth and Xander Bogaerts, after down 2026 seasons, are speculative trade or roster-shuffle candidates. Nothing is confirmed. 🔍
Padres prospect Tucker Musgrove fanned 68 in 34 1/3 innings in 2026, but walks are a concern. The argument: give him a real bullpen shot in 2027 before guaranteeing money to another veteran reliever. Strikeouts: elite. Command: pending. 🎯
Padres prospect Alex McCoy leads Peoria with four homers and 11 RBI in the AFL, including a 118.2 mph blast, the league's top exit velocity this season. He also leads the team with 17 strikeouts. Javelinas sit third at 9-7. 💥
Padres' backloaded deals keep buying short-term flexibility while pushing decisions down the road. Pivetta's 2027 club option ($14M) and King's opt-out after 2026 (salary jumps from $5M to $28M) leave A.J. Preller reworking the rotation again. 🔄
Tarik Skubal has been rumored as a possible Padres target, and it would fit the new owners' push to show commitment. But a reported $400M-plus price could be steep for a team that also needs rotation and lineup help, with King, Morejon and France potentially leaving. 🤔
Padres 7th-round pick Joe Tiroly went deep seven times in his first 22 pro games, hitting .321 for Single-A Lake Elsinore, which won the California League title. Unranked, but 12 of his 27 hits went for extra bases. One to watch in 2027. 👀
Jase Bowen earned a C- in the Padres' roster report card: .146 average, .438 OPS and two homers in 83 games, mostly as a late defensive replacement. His glove (+2 Fielding Run Value) shines, but he may need more Triple-A seasoning in a stacked outfield.
Six former Padres are in the 2026 Brewers-Rays World Series. Nick Martinez (15-6, 3.10 ERA) and Jorge Mateo suit up for Tampa Bay, and Gary Sánchez joins them for Milwaukee. Jake Bauers, the NLCS MVP, is a former Padres draftee. 🔎
Padres prospect Alex McCoy, San Diego's No. 26 prospect, has posted AFL exit velocities near the top of league Statcast history (dating to 2015). His 118.2 mph, 435-foot homer ranked fourth all-time. The next test: making that power work against better pitching. 💥
With a possible Dec. 2 lockout looming, the Padres could open a short offseason with a trade. One idea: package Jake Cronenworth with Freddie Fermin or Luis Campusano for a starter or bench help, with re-signing Ty France the priority. 🔄
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