Padres Target Top Starting Pitching This Offseason
San Diego is pursuing high-level free agents, with starting pitching as its top priority after a meeting with Tarik Skubal is set for next week.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Baseball
The Padres plan to pursue top-level free agents this offseason, prioritizing starting pitchers. The team has signaled to several agents that it is playing at the top of the market, including a tentatively scheduled meeting with two-time Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal.
Why it matters
San Diego lacks top-end starting pitching, making rotation upgrades a central focus of the offseason. How the team fills its outfield and infield needs will also shape how Fernando Tatis Jr. is used in 2027.
Tatis, a two-time Platinum Glove winner in right field, posted a .974 OPS in games at second base compared with .769 as a right fielder across 50 starts at second in 2026. Skubal is expected to command more than $40 million a year, and it is not yet known whether San Diego will land him.
The players
Tarik Skubal
Skubal is a two-time American League Cy Young Award winner and one of the most sought-after free agent starting pitchers this offseason.
Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tatis is a San Diego Padres outfielder and shortstop known for his power and two Platinum Glove awards in right field.
The details
The Padres are pursuing free agents through meetings with agents and players at the general managers meetings in Las Vegas. A meeting with Skubal is tentatively scheduled for the middle of next week in Orange County, and at least four other teams have meetings with him as well. Team personnel acknowledged that signing Skubal would almost certainly limit them in other areas. The team has also expressed interest in Teruaki Sato, Seiya Suzuki, Steven Kwan and Jarren Duran.
Timeline
2026: Tatis started 50 games at second base for the first time in his career.
Middle of next week: Scheduled Padres meeting with free agent Tarik Skubal in Orange County.
Next week: MLB owners meet in New York.
Season Trajectory
San Diego's push for an elite starter follows a pattern of the franchise chasing high-end rotation help to compete in a crowded National League. The outcome of the Skubal pursuit will largely determine whether the Padres can close the gap with the league's best rotations.
If San Diego lands Skubal, the rotation would gain a two-time Cy Young winner, and the team's outfield decisions would shift accordingly. Fantasy managers tracking Tatis should watch whether he stays in right field or moves back to second base.
The takeaway
San Diego's offseason will hinge on whether it can land an ace while keeping its lineup flexible enough to use Tatis effectively. Keeping Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts fresh in 2027 remains a parallel priority.
What happens next
The Padres' meeting with Tarik Skubal is tentatively scheduled for the middle of next week, and MLB owners meet in New York the following week.
Further reading
Follow the latest roster moves in our Baseball coverage for more on San Diego's offseason plans.
