Overview
- Multiple outlets report that Joel Sherman of the New York Post said the Padres “checked in on” Mets right-hander Kodai Senga in what sources describe as exploratory due diligence.
- Reports emphasize the Senga outreach was investigative rather than advanced negotiations and would have to accelerate quickly to clear the August 4 deadline.
- Senga has struggled in 2026 with an elevated ERA, a recent history of injuries, and carries roughly $4.7 million left this season plus about $14 million in 2027, all of which complicate any trade.
- Padres president A.J. Preller has at least internally considered acquiring Giants slugger Rafael Devers but Devers’ roughly $211–$220 million remaining contract and the intra-division hurdle make a deal a long shot.
- San Diego’s late-season surge and a clear need for starter innings and left-handed offense explain the creative checks, and the club could revisit these ideas in the offseason if no deadline deals materialize.