Padres Round Out Roster With Three New Players

Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

February 14, 2026

The San Diego Padres agreed to contracts with pitchers German Marquez, Griffin Canning and outfielder Nick Castellanos.

Valentine’s Day this year got a little more special for Padres fans. A set of three new players joined the club to round out their roster.

Big names like Dylan Cease and Luis Arraez left the team with a small hole in their starting rotation and at first base.

Last week, the Padres signed Miguel Andújar. However, it was clear that a few more pieces were necessary before the team felt complete.

The Castellanos Signing

Nick Castellanos had a whirlwind of a time with the Philadelphia Phillies over the past four years. Still, he had his time unceremoniously cut short this past week due to poor clubhouse behavior. However, less than a week after being let go, the former Philly already has a new home.

Castellanos is still owed the remaining $20 million of his contract with his former team. The Padres will cover the league minimum salary of $780,000 for 2026, as he previously cleared waivers. Despite recent news, this signing is as low-risk as they come in the majors. Something that doesn’t break the bank while providing depth to a position that the team desperately needs covered.

Castellanos is set to DH, cover the outfield and first base for the Padres. Despite his reputation as a poor fielder, Castellanos still holds a lot of value at the plate. A change of scenery could be exactly what the slugger needs after a down year with his former club.

In 2025, Castellanos slashed .250/.294/.400 with an OPS of .694.

The Marquez and Canning Signing

German Marquez and Griffin Canning are a couple of under-the-radar picks that echo the Nick Pivetta signing the club made last year.

Pivetta, before his time with the Padres, was a relatively good starter, but had his career-best year with the Friars. It would appear the team is trying to recreate that success with Marquez and Canning.

In his first year back from Tommy John surgery, Marquez struggled in 2025 with the Colorado Rockies, posting a 6.70 ERA over 26 starts, with a FIP just a single figure below that.

That said, he has historically had some success at Petco Park. He’s won six of 11 games there with 71 strikeouts over 66 1/3 total innings pitched and a combined ERA of 4.88. A pretty sizable decrease from his previous year’s numbers.

In contrast to Marquez, Canning’s signing is a little more clear-cut. In his short time with the New York Mets, he won seven of his 16 games, recording a 3.77 ERA and 1.376 WHIP. Unfortunately, Canning had his season cut short due to an Achilles rupture he sustained midway through the 2025 season. With any luck, he should be ready to play early in the new season.

The club hasn’t confirmed both deals, and therefore, the details are not complete; however, both players are likely set for short one-year contracts with the team.

Just a few days ago, GM AJ Preller made his intentions with the team clear, citing starters as his main focus. It didn’t take him very long to make good on his words. With spring training to start soon, the Padres are already looking much better than they did a few weeks ago.