THE WHISPER: AN IN-DIVISION STRIKE
SAN DIEGO, CA—In the high-stakes shadows of the NL West, the loudest moves are often the ones that never happen. While the Arizona Diamondbacks officially announced the return of Merrill Kelly on a two-year, $40 million deal this week, a “whisper that won’t go away” suggests the San Diego Padres nearly threw a wrench in the reunion.
Insiders report that A.J. Preller’s front office quietly “tested the waters” with a surprise offer for Kelly just 48 hours before he put pen to paper in Phoenix. The move hints at a level of urgency in San Diego that contradicts the team’s public “stay the course” narrative.
THE PADRES’ ROTATION PANIC?
The rumored pursuit of Kelly, 37, reveals a “quiet tension” regarding the Padres’ 2026 rotation stability. Following the departures of Dylan Cease (Blue Jays) and Michael King (rumored to be on the block), San Diego is hunting for veteran innings.
- The Strategy: Landing Kelly wouldn’t have just bolstered the Padres; it would have been a “double-win” by stripping a division rival of their most reliable workhorse.
- The “Preller Special”: Known for his aggressive, often-secretive negotiating style, Preller reportedly viewed Kelly’s “six-pitch mix” as the perfect tactical weapon for Petco Park.
- The Fallout: While the offer didn’t land—Kelly chose the familiarity of his Scottsdale home and a $40M guarantee—the attempt has “raised eyebrows” across the league, signaling that San Diego is far from done with their aggressive rotation overhaul.
BY THE NUMBERS: WHY KELLY WAS THE TARGET
| Metric | Merrill Kelly (2025) | Why the Padres “Checked In” |
| ERA | 3.52 | More reliable than current Padres back-end options. |
| Innings Pitched | 184.0 | A “workhorse” to protect a thinning bullpen. |
| Chase % | 91st Percentile | Elite offspeed stuff that plays well in San Diego. |
| Contract Status | Signed by ARI | Padres were reportedly “willing to go to $42M.” |
ARIZONA’S “UNCOMFORTABLE DOOR”
The Padres’ interference has forced Arizona General Manager Mike Hazen to move faster than expected. To secure Kelly, the Diamondbacks had to commit $40 million—a move that analysts say likely signals the end of the Zac Gallen era in Arizona.
“When a division rival starts sniffing around your franchise icons, you don’t haggle over $2 million,” one scout noted. “Arizona had to pay the ‘loyalty tax’ to keep Kelly, and San Diego is the reason the price went up.”
WHAT’S NEXT FOR SAN DIEGO?
With Kelly off the board, the Padres have already pivoted. On December 18, they signed former Guardians ace Triston McKenzie to a minor-league deal—a low-risk “reclamation project” that shows Preller is still hunting for rotation upside.
