The San Diego Padres are reportedly still working to add to their starting rotation depth ahead of the start of spring training.
With a lot of options available in free agency and a few still being dangled in the trade market, the organization has choices on which direction it can go to add the pitcher of their choosing. One of those options could come from the Boston Red Sox.
In the latest batch of trade ideas, Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly believes the Padres could add Brayan Bello from the Red Sox.
“The Padres are the exact type of team that makes sense for Bello because they need a No. 3 for 2026 to go behind Michael King and Nick Pivetta, while also alleviating pressure on Joe Musgrove in his return after missing all of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery,” Kelly wrote on Monday. “Bello also would give the Padres some long-term stability in their rotation, which would likely be appealing to president of baseball operations A.J. Preller considering both King and Pivetta can opt out and become free agents after the 2026 campaign.”
Bello would give the Padres a possible ace of the future as Musgrove gets older, and King and Pivetta aren’t guarantees to stick around beyond this year. The only possible question for San Diego would be if Preller could put together a strong enough package to entice Craig Breslow. The Padres’ farm system isn’t as strong as it used to be, and Boston could wait until a team comes along with a better offer before dealing him.
Keep an eye on the Padres as a possible spot that could help the Red Sox relieve their logjam of starting pitchers.
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