Under first-year manager Craig Stammen, the San Diego Padres are seeking more consistency nearly halfway through the 2026 MLB season. Coming off a three-game sweep against the Atlanta Braves, San Diego is 42-37 and half a game back from a National League wild-card spot. The Padres are now entering a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at home.
With back-to-back seasons reaching at least 90 wins in 2024 and 2025, the team is working toward a third straight postseason appearance. An area the team is expected to improve before the MLB trade deadline is its starting rotations. The Padres’ starting pitchers currently rank 23rd in ERA (4.50) and WHIP (1.36).
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While injuries to key pieces such as Joe Musgrove (60-day IL) and Nick Pivetta (60-day IL) have weakened the group, San Diego needs reinforcements. With less than two months before the trade deadline, Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer predicts the Padres will trade for Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha.
“The Padres needed a starter even before they put Lucas Giolito on the injured list on Tuesday, and Wacha is a guy they know well,” Rymer wrote. “He had a 3.22 ERA as a Padre back in 2023. A trade between Kansas City and San Diego might need to have a bad-contract-swap element, perhaps involving Jake Cronenworth. That way, the Royals could effectively buy a prospect to go with him, with No. 1 prospect Ethan Salas representing the best possible outcome.”
In 16 starts this season, the one-time All-Star has pitched 101 innings, posting a 3.48 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 2.2 WAR and 77 strikeouts. The 34-year-old’s opponents are slashing .236/.297/.399 with a .697 OPS. In his lone season in San Diego, he produced a 2.4 WAR, the fifth highest of his career.
Wacha would also be more than just a half-season rental for the Padres. He is playing in the second season of a three-year, $51 million contract. He also has a $14 million club option for the 2028 season.
Since taking over as general manager in 2014, A.J. Preller has gained an aggressive reputation. However, with a farm system that ranks 30th in the league by MLB.com, San Diego has a very limited amount of attractive trade chips.
While bigger names such as the Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal or the Minnesota Twins’ Joe Ryan may be hard to swing, Wacha is a much more reasonable option.
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