As San Diego Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller addresses the rotation this offseason, he’ll be staring at a healthy number of proven, frontline MLB starters in free agency. Names like Ranger Suárez, Shota Imanaga, and Framber Valdez immediately come to mind. But perhaps Preller’s best bet is to think slightly outside the MLB box and prioritize a hot pursuit of NPB star Tatsuya Imai.
The Padres already have an ace in place in the form of 32-year-old Nick Pivetta, who finished sixth in National League Cy Young voting for the 2025 season. Additionally, while San Diego and Dylan Cease are likely headed their separate ways, Preller still has a shot to re-sign Michael King, whose market value isn’t exorbitant.