The San Diego Padres have begun one of their most important offseasons in recent memory.

A major reason why this winter is so critical is due to the state of the starting pitching rotation and their struggles throughout the 2026 campaign. The starters accounted for the fourth-fewest innings across MLB last season, resulting in an overused bullpen come October.

The problem that now presents itself isn't as simple as rebuilding a rotation — if one can consider that a simple task — but with among the most free agents in MLB, the offseason can quickly turn into a game of whack-a-mole that president of baseball operations AJ Preller will have to complete before 2027.

New York Mets insider John Harper, however, sees this whack-a-mole game progressing with the Padres signing reigning ALCS MVP Freddy Peralta.

The 30-year-old right-hander started the season with the Mets, but after struggling was swapped at the trade deadline to the eventual pennant-winning Tampa Bay Rays. He totaled a 3.25 ERA in the second half of the season, and had a 2.95 mark throughout 21.1 postseason innings.

With Peralta having come so close to a championship — and his team beating the Milwaukee Brewers the same amount of times the Padres did in the NLDS — perhaps the pairing will get both over the hump in the next Fall Classic.

"... I do believe he’ll be pursued heavily," Harper wrote, "and the Padres desperately need more quality pitching if they’re ever going to get through the postseason and win a championship – especially if Michael King leaves as a free agent this time."

Speaking of King, he unsurprisingly declined his player option and hit free agency, and according to Harper, is projected to head to the Mets.

King isn't the only projected departure as standout relief pitcher Adrian Morejon, who is predicted to be paid as a top closer this offseason, was forecasted to head to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2027.

The kind of money it would cost to not only re-sign King, but to retain Morejon long-term is something that may not be feasible when looking ahead at the future finances of the Padres. King alone is predicted to make around $30 million AAV on his next deal, Peralta at about $28 million AAV and Morejon will likely require at least a $14 million AAV.

The Padres have players like Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth and Jackson Merrill all on the books through the 2030 campaign. If a major signing is made this offseason, expect it to come at the expense of multiple free agency departures.

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