The Padres are recognized to be trying to bolster what’s already a powerful aid corps, and USA As we speak’s Bob Nightengale writes that Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela is likely one of the names on San Diego’s radar. Nightengale additionally mentions Aroldis Chapman as a Padres goal, echoing Dennis Lin of the Athletic’s report from a number of days in the past concerning the Padres’ long-standing curiosity in Chapman.
Senzatela is within the final assured 12 months of a five-year, $50MM extension he signed with Colorado again in October 2021, because the Rockies maintain a $14MM membership possibility (with no buyout) on his providers for 2027. On this sense Senzatela is principally a rental participant for any commerce suitors, as that membership possibility is unlikely to be exercised no matter how nicely the righty pitches over the remainder of the 2026 marketing campaign.
Since signing that extension, Senzatela has tossed solely 274 1/3 massive league innings, as a torn ACL and a Tommy John surgical procedure led to 2 prolonged stints on the injured listing. Lastly totally wholesome heading into the 2025 season, Senzatela struggled to a 7.42 ERA over 108 innings and 23 begins earlier than the Rockies moved him to the bullpen in August. The position swap appeared to work instantly, as Senzatela then delivered a 2.86 ERA over his first 22 innings as a reliever.
The advance has carried over to some extent in 2026, although Senzatela’s glowing 1.13 ERA carries a number of crimson flags. A .195 BABIP might be the largest purpose why Senzatela’s 3.48 SIERA greater than triples his real-world ERA. It isn’t simply good luck, nevertheless, as Senzatela’s 6.8% stroll price is kind of stable and his hard-contact numbers are vastly improved from his profession norms. His 22% strikeout is a bit under league common, but additionally markedly higher than the 14.7K% Senzatela posted over his first 9 MLB seasons.
As one would possibly anticipate, Senzatela’s transfer to aid pitching has bumped his velocity — after averaging 94.2mph on his fastball previous to 2026, Senzatela is now as much as 97.1mph. Moreso than simply the velo, Senzatela’s decreased utilization of his four-seamer has made the pitch way more efficient, as Senzatela has now launched a cutter to his arsenal. The four-seamer has been thrown 35.2% of the time whereas the cutter isn’t far behind at 30.8%, and Statcast’s Run Worth metric offers the cutter a formidable +6.
These outcomes bode nicely for Senzatela’s possibilities of touchdown an honest contract when he hits free company this winter, because it seems to be just like the transfer to the pen has resurrected his profession. Within the shorter time period, it makes him an apparent commerce chip on a rebuilding Rockies crew that’s tied with the Angels for the worst file in baseball (20-34). Barring harm, Colorado will certainly be shifting Senzatela upfront of the commerce deadline.
The wrinkle regarding the Padres is that San Diego is seemingly trying to make a transfer sooner fairly than later. San Diego relievers have already logged 213 2/3 innings, the seventh-highest whole of any aid corps in baseball. Although this heavy workload hasn’t stopped the Friars’ bullpen from being the most effective within the sport, the entrance workplace is trying to be proactive in including a aid arm or two to assist hold everybody recent for what the Padres hope is a good deeper playoff run.
On the flip facet, the truth that the Padres’ need for bullpen assistance is extra of a need than a real want, they will not be working with a lot desperation. That reduces what leverage the Rockies might have as one of many few groups in pure vendor mode. Whereas the Rox will certainly be promoting and the Padres will (barring a complete collapse within the subsequent two months) undoubtedly be shopping for, most outstanding trades don’t happen till a lot nearer to the deadline since golf equipment often wish to take their time in accessing their wants and gauging the market.
Because the Rockies’ precedence ought to be on amassing expertise fairly than slicing payroll, Colorado may provide to eat just about all the things remaining on Senzatela’s contract (roughly $8MM of a $12MM 2026 wage) to be able to maximize the prospect return. Such a proposal could possibly be of explicit curiosity to the Padres, who mission to be luxurious tax-payors for the second straight season and didn’t a lot this previous winter. In fact, the incoming new possession group led by Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones could possibly be keen to stretch the price range in pursuit of the franchise’s elusive first World Sequence ring.
It’s maybe value noting that the Padres and Rockies are very rare commerce companions who haven’t accomplished a non-cash issues kind of commerce since December 2011. This may increasingly have much less to do with a division rivalry than the truth that the Rockies typically made much less trades as a company than most different golf equipment, although president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta has already swung a number of lower-level offers in lower than a 12 months on the job.
