With their signing of Miguel Andujar to a one-year contract, the San Diego Padres have essentially fortified the position player portion of their 2026 roster. Eight of the starting nine are in place, with Andujar and Sung Mun Song representing at least half the bench contingent. If we assume that Luis Campusano and Bryce Johnson handle the backup catching and outfield duties, respectively, the reserves are almost entirely squared away. 

From there, it’s a matter of whether we’ll see Will Wagner or Mason McCoy on the active roster to start the year or if someone like Jose Miranda forces his way into the picture with a strong spring. Beyond that, we’re not looking at a lot of wiggle room on the bench. With that in mind, where should A.J. Preller be turning his attention with the little bit of remaining time he has this offseason? 

We can think of at least three areas. 

Starting Pitcher

This is easily the most obvious positional need, to the point where it may be the most glaring need for any would-be contender throughout the Major League Baseball landscape. The Padres have Nick Pivetta and Michael King as locks atop their rotation. Joe Musgrove is reportedly a full-go as the No. 3 starter, but it remains to be seen how effective he’ll be out of the gate in his return from Tommy John surgery. Beyond that trio, though, things remain incredibly murky. 

Randy Vásquez could be primed to get work as a fourth or fifth starter given how he ended last year. After Vásquez, the list reads Matt Waldron, Sean Boyle, Triston McKenzie, Kyle Hart, JP Sears, Marco Gonzales, and Miguel Mendez, in some order. There’s some bounce-back potential and some upside elsewhere among the mix of 40-man and non-roster guys. But a team that is as steady as the Padres in other areas of their roster could use some actual stability to fill out the middle of their rotation. 

Old friend Nick Martinez remains an option on the free-agent market. As do names like Lucas Giolito and Zac Gallen, in addition to a host of past-their-prime arms that could eat at least a few innings but with little guarantee of being able to do so. The options at this point are thin, but there’s a strong argument for Preller to add at least one more surefire starter to the group before pitchers and catchers report next week.

Backup Catcher

Despite the fact that the position group appears settled, the chance remains that Preller could seek to find an alternative to Campusano to supplement Freddy Fermin behind the dish. Campusano’s defensive work was an abomination the last time we saw him at the major-league level, and it may behoove the Padres to seek out someone that offers a bit more stability behind the plate. 

We won’t see Ethan Salas break camp with the team as a backup, but the Padres also have Rodolfo Durán, Blake Hunt, and Anthony Vilar in camp as non-roster invitees. Names like Jonah Heim, Christian Vázquez, and Matt Thaiss are still available via free agency, and none would be cost-prohibitive. Not that they’re particularly inspiring in their glove work, but there’s at least the factor of providing defense above what Campusano offers.

Perhaps there’s an earnestness present in giving Campusano the first legitimate shot before the non-roster guys get an opportunity. Or maybe Preller just hasn’t been able to agree to terms with one of the free agents. Either way, a surefire contingency behind the plate in the event of a Fermin injury seems like a necessity. It would allow Campusano to get some work as part of a short-side platoon at first base or designated hitter and Stammen to get his bat into the lineup rather than having to worry about his defense.

Bullpen Depth

This is an area where the Padres are above many of their peers across the big-league landscape; a back end of Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada, and David Morgan is the envy of most teams. San Diego also has a number of bridge options to get it into the later innings, including Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta, and Ty Adcock, among others. That doesn’t mean Preller shouldn’t look to further the depth, however. 

Such a need is borne out of the lack of certainty in the rotation. In 2025, the Padres ranked ninth in innings thrown by relief pitchers, and that was with Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish in the mix at various times. With even less stability from their starting group, those bridge guys, in particular, become absolutely essential if the team is hoping to preserve its bullpen dominance again in 2026. 

Considering how many notable names are still permeating throughout the free-agent waters, it’d hardly be a surprise to see additions carry on into the spring exhibition slate. The Padres have built up a certain degree of volume, but it also lacks certainty. Maybe Preller takes a bit more of a wait-and-see approach at the outset of camp before pursuing from those that remain. Either way, it’s difficult to imagine such an active executive doesn’t have at least one more move of note before 2026 officially gets underway. Smart money says that, if one happens, it comes from one of these three groups.

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