Less than three months after taking control of the team, the San Diego Padres' new ownership group might be ready to make a splash.
The Padres are actively searching for starting pitching and have expressed interest in superstar left-hander Tarik Skubal, MLB Network's Jon Morosi reports.
Skubal, who finished this season with the Los Angeles Dodgers - San Diego's longtime rivals - after a midseason trade, is the prize of this year's free-agent class. He's reportedly expected to choose his next team before the collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 2, at which time MLB is expected to lock out its players.
The two-time AL Cy Young winner's new contract is widely anticipated to set a new record for a pitcher, surpassing Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 12-year, $325-million deal.
That price tag might make the Padres long shots in the Skubal sweepstakes, no matter how sincere their interest. San Diego's lured top free agents in the past, including former Dodger Manny Machado, and the team fielded a top-10 payroll this past season. But the Padres' future spending may be hampered by those long-term commitments; Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Fernando Tatis Jr. are owed a combined $686 million through 2034.
New owners José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones pledged to lead the Padres to their first World Series title when they took over the team, but they also hinted at potential changes to some of the small-market club's philosophies.
"We are going to live within our means, and that could mean different things in different years," Feliciano said in August. "But again, we want to win, and we're going to continue supporting that goal in many different ways, and that means at some moments we're going to be aggressive, but we're always going to do it with the long-term health of the team in mind."
The Padres were eliminated in the NLDS after a 91-win season. They're in need of starting pitching after Michael King opted out of his contract and the club declined Nick Pivetta's option.
Skubal posted a 2.72 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with 186 strikeouts over 26 total starts with the Dodgers and Detroit Tigers in 2026. The 29-year-old has already been linked to the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, as well as a reunion with the Dodgers. However, the Cubs are reportedly unlikely to enter a bidding war for Skubal's services.
