So many arms, so few spots: Niebla discusses Padres' rotation, bullpen competitions

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Padres pitching coach -- and newly minted associate manager -- Ruben Niebla spoke with the media on Saturday morning, with manager Craig Stammen set to return Sunday after attending his sister’s wedding.

Niebla, who will be entering his fifth season with the organization, shed some light on the state of the rotation and bullpen races -- both of which feature some very intriguing arms. Here’s what Niebla had to say:

The rotation race
Niebla listed a handful of options for the final spots at the back of the rotation, behind the trio of Nick Pivetta, Michael King and Joe Musgrove. Among them: Triston McKenzie, Walker Buehler, Marco Gonzales, Germán Márquez, JP Sears and Matt Waldron.

Niebla also noted that Randy Vásquez is competing for his slot as well, though he is likely to have an inside track for the No. 4 spot in the rotation.

“We have some guys that have really presented themselves as being in a good spot,” Niebla said. “… There’s a lot of guys that are really in for that final spot, really competing for that spot. We like the competition right now.”

Sears and Buehler both took the mound in Saturday's 7-1 win over the Mariners. Sears worked three innings of one-run ball against the Mariners in the Cactus League. Buehler, meanwhile, faced the KBO’s NC Dinos in a back-field “B” Game. He fell victim to some rough batted-ball luck in the first inning, allowing two runs, but bounced back to throw scoreless innings in the second and third.

“The first inning was a little rough, bunch of singles,” Buehler said. “But I was throwing strikes. The velocity was a little above where we thought it’d be. All in all, a lot of good, a lot of bad, lots of stuff to figure out.”

That’s what Niebla and the Padres are attempting to do with a number of these newcomers: Figure it out. They’ve mostly been successful big leaguers in the past, but coming off poor seasons in 2025. If the Padres can rekindle that success for even one or two of those arms, it’ll be an organizational victory -- and an answer to the questions at the back of their rotation.

Five or six?
One of the big talking points around Padres camp this spring has been the debate surrounding a five-man rotation vs. a six-man rotation. For now, the Padres are proceeding with five in mind –- or at least, that’s what they’re lining up their pitchers for.

“They’re all in a five-day routine,” Niebla said. “Let the competition play itself out, then we’ll make decisions off that.”

Needless to say, the Padres need to feel good about six starters before they would keep six starters. But there are some benefits to the concept, with King and Musgrove coming back from injuries this season.

Of course, there are downsides, too. The Padres have plenty of off-days early in the season, meaning their starters might struggle to find a rhythm in April. Plus…

“You’d take one bullpen arm less,” Niebla said. “And we have a pretty good bullpen. Good competition there as well.”

The state of the bullpen
Indeed, the Padres’ bullpen is one of the best -- and deepest -- in baseball. And if they were to carry six starters, it would leave them one reliever short.

Niebla has the Padres’ relievers on distinctly different schedules this spring ahead of the World Baseball Classic. For instance: Mason Miller, who is slated to leave to join Team USA on Sunday, made his fourth appearance of the Cactus League on Saturday afternoon.

He was dominant (again), striking out two across a 1-2-3 fifth inning, and he has allowed just one hit over four scoreless innings this spring. Meanwhile, Wandy Peralta, who has also been excellent, threw his final bullpen session on Saturday before he leaves to join the Dominican Republic.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Adrian Morejon, who has yet to appear in a game this spring, though he did feature in Saturday’s “B” Game against the NC Dinos. He followed Buehler by pitching a quick, 1-2-3 fourth inning.

The Padres were intentional in bringing Morejon along slowly this spring, Niebla said. He made a career-high 75 appearances last year (then three excellent outings in the Wild Card Series against the Cubs).

“Morejon took on a big load last year,” Niebla said. “... Him and I had the discussions, we were going to slow-play it just a little bit going into camp.”