Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
The San Diego Padres still have glaring holes in their roster with Spring Training just over the horizon, and the Baltimore Orioles line up as a trade candidate to address those holes.
The Padres currently have Gavin Sheets, who avoided arbitration earlier this month with a 1-year, 4.5 million contract, who can play first base. However, putting Sheets in an everyday first baseman role leaves a void at the designated hitter spot.
The Padres re-signed Michael King with a 3-year, $75 million contract in December. Joe Musgrove is returning from the elbow injury he suffered during the 2024 National League Wild Card round. Nick Pivetta is still slotted at the top of the rotation.
King will earn $9 million this season, and then his salary jumps significantly to $32 million in 2027. Musgrove will earn $20 million, and $20 million again in the final year of his 5-year, $100 million contract.
Pivetta will earn $20.5 million in 2026 before his salary drops to $18 million in 2027, which is still a high number. That much guaranteed salary in the rotation, along with the Padres’ other large contracts, is the hurdle Preller needs to clear before he can add.
Moving Pivetta has been mentioned in baseball rumors this winter. Looking at the roster, it also appears to be the most likely. The challenge is finding a team that needs a pitching ace and has pieces the Padres need ahead of Opening Day.
Kyle Bradish (Credit: James A. Pittman – Imagn Images)
Padres, Orioles make sense as trade partners
That team could be the Orioles. The Orioles need bullpen help and have decent starting pitching, but could still use an ace presence.
Preller could offer one of Jeremiah Estrada or Wandy Peralta, along with Pivetta, to Baltimore. In return, the Padres receive starting pitcher Kyle Bradish and first baseman Ryan Mountcastle.
Entering his age-29 season, Bradish missed most of 2025 while rehabbing from Tommy John Surgery. He returned in August, pitching to a 2.53 ERA over 32 innings. In his second year of arbitration, Bradish will earn $3.2 million in 2026.
Bradish offers a 4-pitch mix with a mid-90s sinker and four seamer, along with a slider and a curveball. He relies more on his sinker than any other pitch and features significant movement — 11.5 inches arm-side horizontal break.
The slider is Bradish’s second-most effective pitch. Last season, Bradish went to this pitch almost as often as his sinker. It was good enough to induce a 44.4 whiff percentage.
Fangraphs projects Bradish to pitch a 3.70 ERA and a 3.65 FIP over 158 innings. He’s the type of middle-of-the-rotation candidate the Padres need.
Ryan Mountcastle (Credit AP/Nick Wass
Padres get needed right-handed bat
Mountcastle and the Orioles avoided arbitration with a $6.787 million contract for 2026. This includes a $7.5 million club option in 2027.
The Orioles signed Pete Alonso to a 5-year, $155 million contract last month to be their everyday first baseman. This will take at-bats away from Mountcastle. With Jeremiah Jackson on the bench, Baltimore could feel comfortable moving Mountcastle.
Mountcastle is the perfect first base platoon candidate. He bats right-handed, something the Padres lacked in the 2025 postseason. He could platoon with Sheets at first, or with Luis Arraez, were the Padres interested in a reunion.
Mountcastle is expected to have a .722 OPS and 101wRC+ in 2026, according to Fangraphs. He’s an improvement to the Padres’ shallow bench.
In this scenario, the Orioles give up a starter but get the ace they need, as well as a needed piece at the backend of the bullpen. The Padres free up salary but still keep quality in the starting rotation. San Diego also gets a right-handed bat.
This trade works for both sides.
Mike is the sports editor for the Fayette Advertiser, and has been with East Village Times since 2015. His work has appeared on Bleacher Report. He is an avid Padres fan who is keeping the faith and trusting the process.
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