The theory was that once Tatsuya Imai and Kazuma Okamoto signed their contracts the gates holding back the rest of the free agent market would swing open and contracts would be signed left and right. That has not been the case, at least not yet. The calendar turned from 2025 to 2026 and most employees and employers enjoyed a long weekend. If the San Diego Padres and the rest of MLB had the same approach to the holiday weekend, Monday may be the day that kickstarts the offseason. The top free agent pitchers and position players remain on the market and while the Padres are not expected to be in the bidding for any of their services, they could potentially be shopping in the mid- and lower tiers to fill out the roster. San Diego has glaring needs in the rotation and at first base and the needs will have to be addressed on the market or through trade. President of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller is considered a wild card amongst baseball front offices so the potential for ANYTHING exists.
