Padres reach Minor League deal with veteran lefty Gonzales (source)
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The Padres made another addition to their tenuous starting pitching depth by agreeing to a Minor League deal with veteran left-hander Marco Gonzales on Thursday, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.
The club has not confirmed the deal, which includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training and will be worth $1.5 million if Gonzales makes the Padres. Gonzales can earn an additional $1 million with incentives.
A couple of weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Peoria, Ariz., the Padres still have plenty of uncertainty in the rotation. Nick Pivetta remains in the fold after a breakout 2025, and the team re-signed Michael King earlier this offseason. Joe Musgrove will return from a season-long absence due to Tommy John surgery.
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Beyond those top three arms, it's unclear how the Padres might round out their rotation. Yu Darvish is out for 2026 due to elbow surgery and is considering his future with the team. Some of San Diego's current options on the 40-man roster include Randy Vásquez, Matt Waldron, JP Sears and Kyle Hart.
Vásquez emerged as a solid middle-of-the-rotation arm in 2025, posting a 3.84 ERA in 28 appearances (26 starts), although his 4.85 FIP suggests he might not perform at that same level going forward. Waldron and Sears both struggled last year, while Hart may be more likely to pitch in relief.
With thin rotation depth, the Padres could get creative to gain more feasible options at the big league level. They picked up Triston McKenzie on a Minor League deal in December, and now they'll take on another project in Gonzales.
Gonzales, who turns 34 in February, went unsigned in 2025 after having left flexor tendon surgery in September '24. He was a serviceable starter for 10 prior big league seasons, going 66-50 with a 4.16 ERA in 170 games (162 starts) from 2014-24 with the Cardinals, Mariners and Pirates.
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Injuries limited Gonzales to just 17 starts from 2023-24, and he's years removed from his best big league seasons. But if he can get something out of working with pitching coach/associate manager Ruben Niebla, then perhaps he will become a viable candidate for a spot in the back end of the rotation.