How Have the Padres New Additions Performed Early in the 2026 MLB Season?
Balling on a budget is the best way to describe the San Diego Padres' offseason entering 2026. Still struggling with the loss of their beloved former owner, Peter Siedler, the team searched for value wherever they could find it. Besides the major re-signing of Michael King, no deal exceeded $15 million on the sheet. Even with no big-time moves, excitement buzzed around the minimalistic yet sensible moves. It’s still very early, but the Padres are rolling, sitting at a record of 10-6 as of April 14th, and their small moves have aided them.
Miguel Andujar
Coming off a career year, the Padres inked Miguel Andujar to a one-year, four-million-dollar deal that includes up to $2.2 million in potential performance incentives. The infielder put together a very solid 2025 as both an Athletic and a Cincinnati Red. He slashed .318/.352/.470 with 10 home runs over the course of 94 games. Even with the small sample size, he made enough of an impact to be deemed worthy of his Padres payday. So far, Andujar has been as advertised. Manager Craig Stammen has penciled him in as a platoon DH option, getting at-bats in the five or six spot. Thus far, Andujar is hitting .297 with a .782 OPS in his 12 games played. The 31-year-old has significantly improved his average exit velocity in the early going, placing in the 74th percentile so far. He placed in the 20th percentile last season. If Andujar continues at this pace, he will be one of the best budget signings of 2026 by a long shot.
Walker Buehler
Formerly known as the up-and-coming ace of the Dodgers' rotation, Walker Buehler signed with the Padres on a one-year minor league flyer. Buehler will be owed a base salary of $1.5 million by the Padres, a cheap price tag for rotational depth. So far, it has been up and down through three starts. The former all-star has slotted in as the Padres fourth starter. In his initial start against the San Francisco Giants, he was mediocre, allowing three runs in four innings of work in what turned out to be a 3-2 Padres loss. It got worse as well. Buehler gave up four runs in just 2.2 innings against his former team, the Red Sox, for his second start, not ideal, but he bounced back. The most encouraging start has been his recent six-inning, zero-run performance against the Colorado Rockies. Overall, the former Dodger has registered a 4.97 ERA in 12.2 innings of work. It's unlikely Buheler returns to his all-star performance ever again, but if he can pitch to an ERA around 4.3, he would make the bargain bin signing worth it.
Germán Márquez
Despite being one of the worst starting pitchers in baseball over the last two years, the Padres elected to give former Rockies pitcher Germán Márquez a chance. The Padres dealt out a one-year $1.75 million deal that includes a mutual option. Similar to Buheler, Márquez’s early season can be defined by one good start flanked by two disappointing outings. His debut was a three-inning, four-run disaster, as the Padres lost 9-3 to the Giants. The bounceback came in the form of five shutout innings in Pittsburgh against the Pirates. Although his second start showed promise, it’s clear Márquez is going to struggle through the season. The former all-star has already given up five home runs in 13 innings of work. Beyond this, his FIP sits at a paltry 7.57, largely stemming from his inability to prevent the long ball. Even with the cheap price tag, it’s difficult to see the 31-year-old making it through the entire season as a starter in the Padres rotation.
Nick Castellanos
Among the moves made by the Padres, none received as much fanfare as the one-year league minimum deal handed out to Nick Castellanos. From 2022 through 2025, Castellanos was a key member of the Phillies post-season teams. Yet after a disappointing 2025 that saw him register a brutal -0.8 WAR in 147 games, the Phillies decided to cut ties. Part of the reason for the Phillies ' parting ways with the veteran outfielder is his absolutely atrocious defense. In 2025, Castellanos registered a fielding run value in the 1st percentile according to Baseball Savant. Despite the clear struggles defensively, manager Craig Stammen has placed the 34-year-old in the outfield multiple times in 2026, aiding him to a WAR of -0.4 in just 12 games. Offensively, there has not been much success. The former Phillie has registered an OPS of just .549. Although there is a bit of hope moving forward. Castellanos is currently in the 98th percentile of launch angle sweet spot percentage, as well as the 97th percentile in expected batting average. He has hit the ball at an ideal angle, but the results have not followed. Only time will tell if the expected numbers will result in real performance for the former all-star, but one thing is certain: Castellanos playing outfield should be avoided.
