Padres & Royals Linked To Trade Involving All-Star Pitcher
Rymer projects the Padres to reacquire Kansas City Royals right-hander Michael Wacha ahead of the August 3 trade deadline.
"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."
Why San Diego Needs an Arm
The Padres are 43-41, sitting a two games out of the third National League Wild Card spot held by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Their rotation has been a problem, ranking 23rd in the majors in ERA at 4.50 and using a parade of starters thanks to a wave of injuries.
Michael Wacha. 👏 pic.twitter.com/QM08NlK0Mt
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) June 27, 2026
Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta are both on the 60-day injured list, and the recent loss of Giolito has only deepened the need.
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand also listed Wacha as a logical San Diego target, noting that adding a starter like Wacha or Seth Lugo makes sense given the Padres are unlikely to make the big splash for a top arm like Tarik Skubal.
Why Wacha Fits
Wacha is not just a rental, which sets him apart from many deadline arms.
The 34-year-old is in the second season of a three-year, $51 million contract and has a $14 million club option for 2028, giving an acquiring team multiple years of control.
He is enjoying a strong campaign, going 5-5 with a 3.48 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and 77 strikeouts to just 29 walks across 16 starts and 101 innings, with opponents slashing .236/.297/.399 against him.
He is coming off a seven-inning gem against the Tampa Bay Rays in which he scattered six hits and allowed one run in a 2-1 victory.
His familiarity with San Diego runs deep, as he won 14 games with a 3.22 ERA in his lone season there in 2023.
The Cost
With the Royals in last place in the AL Central and going nowhere fast, Wacha is the shiniest chip they have to move, and dealing him now may be their last best chance to recoup value.
Rymer suggested a deal between Kansas City and San Diego might need a bad-contract-swap element, perhaps involving Jake Cronenworth, which would allow the Royals to effectively buy a prospect to go along with him.
San Diego's farm system ranks 30th in the league per MLB.com, which limits its trade chips, making Wacha's more modest acquisition cost compared to bigger names like Skubal or Joe Ryan a significant part of the appeal.
