Despite some in-fighting among ownership, the Padres brought back one of their key free agents. The Friars took their usual approach of signing a notable player from an Asian league and adding a bunch of cheap veteran free agents just before Spring Training. As has frequently been the case, they\u2019re also heading into the season with a new manager.<\/p>\n
Major League Signings<\/p>\n
2026 commitments: $24.5MM
Total future commitments: $99.45MM<\/p>\n
Trades and Claims<\/p>\n
Option Decisions<\/p>\n
Notable Minor League Signings<\/p>\n
Jase Bowen<\/a>,\u00a0Sean Boyle<\/a>, Walker Buehler<\/a>, Omar Cruz<\/a>,\u00a0Ty France<\/a>, Marco Gonzales<\/a>,\u00a0Blake Hunt<\/a>, Triston McKenzie<\/a>, Jose Miranda<\/a>, Pablo Reyes<\/a>,\u00a0Carlos Rodr\u00edguez<\/a>,\u00a0Nick Schnell<\/a>,\u00a0N<\/a>ick<\/a> Solak<\/a>, Samad<\/a> Taylor<\/a>,\u00a0Alex Verdugo<\/a>,\u00a0Justin Yeager<\/a><\/p>\n Extensions<\/p>\n Notable Losses<\/p>\n The Padres\u2019 offseason began in usual fashion. Immediately after being bounced by the Cubs in the Wild Card Series, San Diego faced questions about their leadership continuity. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller was headed into the final year of his contract. Manager Mike Shildt had led the team to consecutive playoff appearances, but that didn\u2019t ensure he\u2019d be back.<\/p>\n After initial reporting that the Padres planned to retain Shildt, he stepped down in the middle of October. Excellent reporting from Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune<\/a> contextualized that decision. Acee\u2019s column goes into detail about how Shildt\u2019s managerial style wound up alienating many of his assistant coaches, while the 57-year-old skipper said he\u2019d become worn down by the position. (Shildt would remain in baseball but in a lower-profile role by accepting a player development job with the Orioles six weeks later.)<\/p>\n This wasn\u2019t quite the same situation as the Padres\u2019 previous two managerial changes. The 2024 move to allow Bob Melvin to leave for the Giants reportedly stemmed from an acrimonious relationship between Melvin and Preller. Jayce Tingler\u2019s ouster at the end of 2021 came after he\u2019d seemingly lost the clubhouse amidst a second half collapse. In any case, the result was a fourth managerial hiring process in seven years \u2014 and a remarkable sixth full-time skipper during Preller\u2019s lengthy run at the top of baseball operations.<\/p>\n Preller\u2019s own contract status would linger over the offseason, but it was apparent early on that he\u2019d be back for 2026 at least. The Padres conducted their managerial search throughout the postseason and into the first few days of the offseason. They settled on former reliever Craig Stammen, who had been in the organization\u2019s player development department but had no coaching or managerial experience. It was an unexpected hire considering initial reporting suggested the likes of Ryan Flaherty, Nick Hundley, Ruben Niebla, and Albert Pujols were in the running.<\/p>\n San Diego kept the well-regarded Niebla on staff as pitching coach despite passing on him for the managerial vacancy. The Padres brought in Randy Knorr as bench coach and tabbed former outfielder Steven Souza Jr. as a first-time hitting coach. Stammen had ties to both men (Knorr as a coach, Souza as a teammate) from his time in the Nationals bullpen.<\/p>\n Once the manager was settled, the front office could turn its attention to the roster. They faced a handful of free agent losses. Dylan Cease<\/a> and\u00a0Robert Suarez<\/a> obviously weren\u2019t coming back. Cease was going to price himself out of San Diego, while the Padres had prepared for Suarez\u2019s departure by trading for\u00a0Mason Miller<\/a> last summer.<\/p>\n The Padres had a number of option decisions. Most of them were obvious: Suarez\u2019s opt-out, Michael King<\/a> declining a mutual option, the team exercising a bargain $6.5MM option to keep left fielder Ram\u00f3n Laureano<\/a>. The club bought out depth starter Kyle Hart<\/a> but quickly circled back on a cheaper one-year deal. They dropped Elias D\u00edaz<\/a> and Tyler Wade<\/a>, while lefty reliever Wandy Peralta<\/a> passed on the chance to opt out of the remaining two years and $8.9MM on his deal.<\/p>\n San Diego issued qualifying offers to Cease and King, both of which were expected. They opted not to make a QO to Luis Arraez<\/a>, setting the stage for him to join the division rival Giants on a $12MM deal. Ryan O\u2019Hearn<\/a> was ineligible for a qualifying offer as a midseason trade pickup, not that the Padres would have given much thought to offering him a $22.025MM salary. O\u2019Hearn\u2019s production after the trade was just alright and it doesn\u2019t seem like San Diego made much effort to bring him back before he signed a two-year deal with Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n Of their impactful free agents, King became the priority. Some of that was driven by a glaring need for rotation help beyond Nick Pivetta<\/a> and\u00a0Joe Musgrove<\/a>, the latter of whom missed all of last season rehabbing Tommy John surgery. Although San Diego\u2019s interest in re-signing King was natural, it came as a moderate surprise they got the deal done. The Padres have curtailed free agent spending since Peter Seidler\u2019s 2023 passing. Even last offseason\u2019s four-year, $55MM deal with Pivetta came late in the winter when the righty was amenable to a heavily backloaded contract with opt-outs after the second and third seasons.<\/p>\n The Padres were also facing some geographic disadvantages. King attended high school in Rhode Island, played collegiately at Boston College, and spent the first five seasons of his career with the Yankees. He said he entered the offseason preferring to land with an East Coast team. That changed when the Padres put forth a three-year, $75MM offer that included opt-out chances after the first and second seasons. King might\u2019ve been able to land a bigger guarantee elsewhere, but he\u2019s able to remain with a team he knows well with a chance to cash in next offseason.<\/p>\n King pitched at a borderline ace level during his first season in San Diego. He was out to an even stronger start to the \u201925 campaign before encountering a troublesome nerve issue in his throwing shoulder. That shelved him for nearly three months, and he battled knee inflammation upon his late-season return. Although a fully healthy King is clearly one of the team\u2019s three best starters, the Padres used him out of the bullpen in their playoff series.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an upside play for pitcher and team alike. The Padres are hopefully paying King $22MM ($12MM signing bonus, $5MM salary, and a $5MM option buyout) for one excellent season. He\u2019d be positioned to retest the market at age 32 without being attached to a qualifying offer. He\u2019d likely try to max out the contract length and guarantee at that point.<\/p>\n Slotting King back into the #2 spot in the rotation is far more valuable to the Padres than the fourth round pick they would have received as compensation for his departure. They did land one compensatory draft choice when Cease signed his seven-year deal with the Blue Jays \u2014 a deal that shattered whatever the Padres would have been willing to offer.<\/p>\n Even with King in the fold, the rotation remained the roster\u2019s biggest question.\u00a0Yu Darvish<\/a> missed a couple months last season with an elbow issue. He looked a shell of his former self when healthy enough to pitch, allowing a 5.38 ERA in 15 regular season starts (plus two runs on four hits in one playoff inning). There were early whispers that the 39-year-old Darvish could walk away from the remaining three years on his contract.<\/p>\n That may still be the case, but all that\u2019s known for now is that the righty won\u2019t be available in 2026. Darvish underwent an internal brace surgery to address UCL damage in his elbow. He made his most recent statement on his long-term future in January, saying that he and the team have had conversations about terminating his contract (presumably with some kind of deferral or buyout structure). He hasn\u2019t made any decisions on retirement. Darvish is signed through his age-41 season for a combined $43MM: $15MM this year, followed by $14MM salaries in 2027-28.<\/p>\n The Padres poked around the market for a second significant rotation move. They reportedly made a three-year, $50MM offer to\u00a0Merrill Kelly<\/a>. He opted to return to Arizona on a two-year deal at a higher annual rate. The Padres were loosely tied to\u00a0Framber Valdez<\/a> as his free agency lingered but never seemed likely to make the money work.<\/p>\n They\u2019ll round out the rotation with internal arms and reclamation projects. Randy V\u00e1squez<\/a> is expected to get the fourth starter role on the heels of a decent 2025 season. They added Griffin Canning<\/a> on a $2.5MM deal after last June\u2019s Achilles tear. Canning had posted a 3.77 ERA across 16 starts with the Mets before the injury. He\u2019ll probably be on the injured list into May but should be locked into a rotation spot once he\u2019s healthy.<\/p>\n San Diego signed longtime Rockies righty Germ\u00e1n M\u00e1rquez<\/a> to a $1.75MM contract to round out the staff until Canning returns. M\u00e1rquez hasn\u2019t been good since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. He\u2019s coming off a near-7.00 ERA over 26 starts last season. He was bombed for a 7.32 mark outside Coors Field. The big league deal is less about projecting improved performance at normal altitude and more a flier on a fastball that still sits around 95 mph.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a similar situation for\u00a0Walker Buehler<\/a>, who came aboard on a minor league contract. Buehler\u2019s fastball sat around 94 mph last season, well down from the upper 90s heat he brought before undergoing his second Tommy John procedure in 2022. He\u2019s in the 92 mph range this spring, though it\u2019s common for pitchers to add a tick or two as they build up into game shape.<\/p>\n Buehler isn\u2019t guaranteed a roster spot but could push M\u00e1rquez for the fifth starter role. It\u2019s also possible the Padres start Musgrove on the injured list to avoid pushing him too quickly, which would open another early-season rotation spot. The Padres tendered JP Sears<\/a> a $2.75MM arbitration contract even though he was a non-factor after coming over in the Miller trade. He\u2019s on the 40-man roster and likely starting the season in the minors. That\u2019s also true of Hart and minor league signee Marco Gonzales<\/a>, while they\u2019ll face a decision on the out-of-options\u00a0Matt Waldron<\/a> once he\u2019s back from the injured list.<\/p>\n The Padres understandably felt good about the bullpen despite losing Suarez. Miller is probably the best closer in MLB.\u00a0Jeremiah Estrada<\/a>,\u00a0Jason Adam<\/a>, Adrian Morejon<\/a>,\u00a0David Morgan<\/a> and\u00a0Bradgley Rodriguez<\/a> could all find themselves in setup roles. Peralta and\u00a0Yuki Matsui<\/a> are under contract as lefty middle relievers. San Diego\u2019s only 40-man roster moves were depth fliers on Daison Acosta<\/a> and\u00a0Ty Adcock<\/a>, both of whom will open the season in Triple-A.<\/p>\n There was more work to do on the position player side. The Padres have one of the most top-heavy offensive groups in the league. That isn\u2019t going to change, but they made a few moves to deepen a lineup losing Arraez and O\u2019Hearn.<\/p>\n The most notable was a four-year deal for KBO infielder Sung-mun Song<\/a>. The 29-year-old has had an excellent last two seasons for the Kiwoom Heroes after a middling career until that point. Scouting reports project him as a utility player at the MLB level. That\u2019s the role he\u2019ll play in San Diego at a modest $2.8MM average annual value.<\/p>\n Song, a lefty hitter, has spent most of his career at second or third base. He\u2019ll back up\u00a0Jake Cronenworth<\/a> and Manny Machado<\/a>\u00a0at those respective positions. The Padres also planned to get him shortstop and outfield work this spring, though that\u2019s been halted by some oblique trouble that seems likely to delay his team debut by a few weeks.<\/p>\n The Padres wanted to balance the lineup by adding a\u00a0pair of veteran right-handed bats. San Diego signed lefty masher Miguel Andujar<\/a> to a one-year, $4MM deal. He\u2019s coming off an excellent .318\/.352\/.470 showing between the A\u2019s and Reds. The market was nevertheless cold on him because of his lack of defensive value, injury history, and aggressive offensive approach.<\/p>\n Andujar will get the majority of the designated hitter work while backing up Laureano and Fernando Tatis Jr.<\/a> in the corner outfield. The Padres wanted another righty hitter to platoon with Gavin Sheets <\/a>at first base.\u00a0Paul Goldschmidt<\/a> would have been an ideal fit, but he declined an offer from San Diego to return to the Yankees. The Padres pivoted to\u00a0Nick Castellanos<\/a> after he was released by the Phillies.<\/p>\n The move comes at literally no cost financially. Castellanos is playing for the league minimum salary in San Diego (which the Padres would have paid to whoever else was taking that roster spot regardless). The Phillies are eating the rest of his $20MM salary. Castellanos should still be a decent power bat against lefty pitching. Any risk is in adding a player who had no first base experience until this spring and whose time in Philadelphia ended with a highly publicized rift with manager Rob Thomson.<\/p>\n The Padres opted not to make a move behind the plate, where they\u2019ll rely on the\u00a0Freddy Fermin<\/a>\/Luis Campusano<\/a> pair. They don\u2019t have clear backups behind\u00a0Xander Bogaerts<\/a> and\u00a0Jackson Merrill<\/a> at shortstop and in center field, respectively. They\u2019d been hoping to get Song up to speed for that role by Opening Day. A season-opening injured list stint would create a spot for one of Will Wagner<\/a>,\u00a0Mason McCoy<\/a> or minor league signee Ty France <\/a>as a utility infielder. The out-of-options Bryce Johnson<\/a> probably wins the fourth outfield role.<\/p>\n They could benefit from one more depth move in the final two weeks of Spring Training, but it doesn\u2019t seem to be a priority. San Diego didn\u2019t make a single waiver claim for a second straight offseason. They also didn\u2019t make any trades despite Preller\u2019s affinity for massive swings. There was a rumor out of the Winter Meetings about talks with the Mets concerning a potential blockbuster involving Miller, Pivetta and Laureano. There\u2019s no indication that progressed, and the Padres stood pat from a trade perspective.<\/p>\n That surely won\u2019t be the case this summer. The Padres mostly sat out last offseason\u2019s trade activity as well before making three big deadline trades (Miller\/Sears, Laureano\/O\u2019Hearn, and Fermin). If they\u2019re in the running for a playoff spot, it\u2019s in their nature to be aggressive. With Pivetta and King both able to opt out next winter, adding a controllable starting pitcher figures to be a priority. If the team underperforms, either or both veteran righties could be on the trade block themselves.<\/p>\n Preller will lead the deadline with long-term financial comfort. He and the organization finally reached agreement on a multi-year extension last month. That\u2019s of particular importance given the likelihood of a major shakeup at the ownership level. In early February, the Seidler family resolved most of their litigation against one another. That paves the way for the family to move forward with a sale that could be in place as soon as Opening Day. The most recent reporting indicated they were weighing five offers<\/a> and could pull north of $2.5 billion for the franchise.<\/p>\n The repercussions of a potential sale won\u2019t really be felt until next offseason at the earliest. Last winter was a fairly typical Padres offseason, one they\u2019ll hope was sufficient to maintain their status as the Dodgers\u2019 top challenger in the NL West.<\/p>\n \t\t\tHow would you grade the Padres’ offseason?<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tTotal votes: 351\n\t\t<\/p>\n Thank you for voting!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Despite some in-fighting among ownership, the Padres brought back one of their key free agents. The Friars took…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":355288,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[435],"tags":[49,48,462,82],"class_list":["post-532410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-mlb","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/532410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=532410"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/532410\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/355288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=532410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=532410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=532410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}