A surprise option call moved a top lefty into play. For San Diego, the fit might be too clean to ignore.
The market just coughed up a plot twist nobody saw coming, and everybody is gaming out in November. An All-Star lefty who looked like a North Side fixture as recently as last fall is suddenly back on the board. For a San Diego Padres club that needs high-end run prevention without detonating future flexibility, this is the rare convergence of timing, fit, and opportunity, especially when the player’s 2025 wobbles might push his price into a range San Diego can actually play in.