Padres roster review: Randy Vásquez – San Diego Union-Tribune
RANDY VÁSQUEZ
Position(s): Right-handed pitcher
Bats / Throws: Right / Right
2026 opening day age: 27
Height / Weight: 6-foot / 165 pounds
How acquired: Via trade with the New York Yankees in December 2023
Contract status: Will not be arbitration-eligible until 2028 and will not be a free agent until 2031.
fWAR in 2025: 0.8
Key 2025 stats: 6-7, 3.84 ERA, 0 saves, 0 holds, 78 strikeouts, 52 walks, 1.32 WHIP, .247 opponent average, 133 ⅔ innings (28 games, 26 starts)
STAT TO NOTE
.764 — Vásquez’s OPS against left-handed hitters in 2025, well below what he posted in his first year in the Padres’ rotation (.961). He was better with the changeup against them in 2025 as he lowered lefties’ average against that pitch from .360 to .300 and in turn Vásquez’s four-seamer dropped from .435 against lefties in 2024 to .246 last year. The end result was a 3.84 ERA that was more than a run better than it was in 2024 (4.87).
TRENDING
Up — One of the pieces received in the Juan Soto trade, Vásquez made 20 starts in his first year in San Diego as an up-and-down arm who filled in at different points for the injured Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove. A year later, Vásquez made the opening day rotation and made 22 starts without interruption until a series of trades gave the Padres new arms to try in the rotation. Before one last blow up on Aug. 2 (4 IP, 5 ER), Vásquez had a 3.65 ERA despite a 52-to-48 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 103 ⅔ innings as he lived up to the “traffic cop” nicknamed bestowed upon him in spring training. Vásquez was optioned out after that Aug. 2 start as the team got a look LHPs JP Sears and Nestor Cortes. Vásquez made one Triple-A start before returning to pitch in bulk relief at Dodger Stadium and then went back to the minors for another start and a long paternity leave break. Then Vásquez returned for good on Sept. 6, throwing six quality innings at Coors Field, the start of three quality starts in four trips to the mound (2.53 ERA, 18 strikeouts, 3 walks). Vásquez made his last appearance of the regular season out of the bullpen, his likeliest role after earning a spot on the NL Wild Card Series roster. Vásquez, however, was not used in Chicago.
2026 OUTLOOK
Vásquez’s improvement against left-handed hitters (see stat to note) went a long ways toward getting a longer run in the rotation in 2025. He still ranked in the bottom 2% in strikeout rate (13.7%), but the strikeout-to-walk ratio spiked over his final four starts. A continuation of that trend would further solidify Vásquez’s spot in a rotation that needs him to take a step forward to offset losing Dylan Cease to free agency and Darvish to elbow surgery.
Randy Vasquez #98 of the San Diego Padres reacts after striking out Jordan Beck #27 of the Colorado Rockies during the sixth inning at Petco Park on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
ROSTER RANKINGS
14. RHP Randy Vasquez
15. OF Gavin Sheets
16. LHP JP Sears
17. RHP Yu Darvish
18. RHP Bradgley Rodriguez
19. RHP David Morgan
20. C Freddy Fermin
21. LHP Wandy Peralta
22. C Luis Campusano
23. LHP Yuki Matsui
24. INF Sung-Mun Song
25. RHP Matt Waldron
26. OF Bryce Johnson
27. RHP Ron Marinaccio
28. RHP Bryan Hoeing
29. LHP Kyle Hart
30. RHP Jhony Brito
31. INF Will Wagner
32. OF Tirso Ornelas
33. RHP Garrett Hawkins
34. RHP Miguel Mendez
35. RHP Daison Acosta
36. RHP Ty Adcock
37. RHP Alek Jacob
38. INF Mason McCoy
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