Padres enter the new season with a ton of glaring questions

There is a lot to be excited about this season if you are a fan of the San Diego Padres. The trio of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Jackson Merrill should do well. 

They also have one of the best bullpens with guys like Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon, and that could get even scarier for opposing teams when Jason Adam returns from the quad surgery he had back in October. 

However, you cannot overlook the loss of Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish. Cease signed a free agent deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, and Darvish will be out for the season after undergoing surgery to repair his UCL and flexor tendon. 

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Padres enter the new season with a ton of glaring questions

Luckily for the Padres, they were able to re-sign Michael King, who is expected to lead this rotation. He will be joined by Joe Musgrove, whose last MLB appearance was back in 2024. 

The starting rotation will play a huge factor in how this club does this season, and Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly rightfully questions if the club has enough. 

"Where the questions lie in Craig Stammen's first season as manager are in the starting rotation. Will Nick Pivetta match the career-year he had in 2025? Can Michael King stay healthy after being limited to 15 starts last season? Does either German Marquez or Walker Buehler have anything left? What can Joe Musgrove and Griffin Canning provide when they get healthy?"

The starting rotation leaves a lot to be desired, but if one or two of these arms can step up, they shouldn't be in too bad a spot. That just leaves more pressure on the offense to push runs across the board when they have the opportunity. 

Kelly projects this team to take a bit of a hit this season, but not much. He still has them penciled in as the second-best team in the NL West. 

More MLB news:

• Tigers are banking on a trio of proven closers to solidify the late innings
• Cubs' starting rotation faces a massive gap between its ceiling and floor
• Rangers are gambling on a massive trio of bounce-back seasons
• MLB analyst proposes the Royals' success could come down to a young slugger
• Blue Jays enter the new season with a huge late-inning question mark