San Diego Padres evaluate roster and pitching needs

The San Diego Padres are assessing their roster following the 2026 season, highlighting the performance of catcher Ethan Salas. After missing much of the previous year due to a stress reaction, Salas played 96 minor-league games, hitting .296/.374/.488 with 10 home runs. He earned a promotion to Triple-A, where he hit .326, and eventually made his MLB debut. Salas became the youngest catcher to debut since 1991, overcoming an initial 0-for-14 slump to find success in September.

Simultaneously, the Padres are looking to bolster a starting rotation that struggled in 2026, recording the fourth-fewest innings pitched in baseball and a 4.42 ERA. With Michael King opting out of his contract and other rotation stability uncertain, reports suggest Baltimore Orioles pitcher Trevor Rogers could be a primary target. Analysts have linked Rogers to a potential three-year, $64 million deal to address the team's pitching deficiencies.