The Texas Rangers moved quickly, sliding Skip Schumaker from a senior advisor role in the front office into the dugout as the replacement for Bruce Bochy. That left seven managerial openings across the game before Mike Shildt announced his decision to retire.
Of those teams, the Padres are the only franchise coming off a postseason berth. They pared spending from $282.8 million in 2023, per Spotrac, to $185.9 million in 2024. While payroll jumped up to $228.6 million this year, there is no indication the Padres will spend like they did two years ago.
That said, baseball ops chief A.J. Preller is as inventive as any in the game. And the results — four playoff berths over the last six years — are unprecedented in franchise history.
The team has stars in the prime of their career. They have kids coming of age. And they have a ballpark that’s filled most of the time.
You don’t have to squint to see what Preller was talking about in his end-of-season video conference review on Tuesday.
Yes, the roster has holes. No, Preller’s status beyond 2026 is not guaranteed. Yes, he’s hiring his fifth manager since axing Bud Black near the midpoint of the 2015 season. No, none of the last three managers have lasted longer than two years.
But …
“It’s an attractive position and job,” Preller said, “and I can tell from the interest that’s been coming in and some of the conversations that have happened here … it’s viewed that way in the baseball community.”
Here’s the tale of the tape for the jobs that remain open:
San Diego Padres
2025 finish: 90-72, 2nd in NL West
Leading baseball ops: A.J. Preller, president of baseball operations and general manager (11 seasons)
2025 payroll: $228.6 million (10th, per spotrac.com)
Recent postseason history: Have made four playoff berths in the last six years, advancing as deep as the NLCS in 2022.
Returning 2-win players (Fangraphs.com): OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (6.1), 3B Manny Machado (3.8), RHP Nick Pivetta (3.4), SS Xander Bogaerts (3.2), OF Jackson Merrill (3.0), OF Ramón Laureano (3.0), 2B Jake Cronenworth (2.9), LHP Adrián Morejón (2.2), RHP Mason Miller (2.0)
Average attendance: 42,434 (2nd)
Farm system rankings (Baseball America): 30th
Top-100 prospects: C Ethan Salas (77), LHP Kruz Schoolcraft (95)
Atlanta Braves
2025 finish: 76-86, 4th in NL East
Leading baseball ops: Alex Anthopoulos, president of baseball operations and general manager (8 seasons)
2025 payroll: $ 235.5 million (8th, per spotrac.com)
Recent postseason history: Made seven straight postseasons before this year; won the World Series in 2021.
Returning 2-win players: 1B Matt Olson (4.7), LHP Chris Sale (3.6), OF Ronald Acuña Jr. (3.5), C Drake Baldwin (3.1), RHP Spencer Schwellenbach (2.4), C Sean Murphy (2.0)
Average attendance: 35,841 (8th)
Farm system rankings: 29th
Top-100 prospects: LHP Cam Caminiti (72), RHP JR Ritchie (86)
Baltimore Orioles
2025 finish: 75-87, 5th in AL East
Leading baseball ops: Mike Elias, president of baseball operations and general manager (7 seasons)
2025 payroll: $197.3 million (15th, per spotrac.com)
Recent postseason history: Qualified in back-to-back years before this year and won the division in 2023, but were swept out of the ALDS.
Returning 2-win players: SS Gunnar Henderson (4.8), LHP Trevor Rogers (3.3), RHP Dean Kremer (2.6)
Average attendance: 22,545 (23rd)
Farm system rankings: 11th
Top-100 prospects: C Samuel Basallo (7), OF Dylan Beavers (83)
Colorado Rockies
2025 finish: 43-119, 5th in NL West
Leading baseball ops: Bill Schmitt stepped down in October, creating a void atop the department.
2025 payroll: $150.9 million (20th, per spotrac.com)
Recent postseason history: Last made the playoffs in 2018; have never won the division.
Returning 2-win players: C Hunter Goodman (3.4), LHP Kyle Freeland (2.5)
Average attendance: 30,057 (15th)
Farm system rankings: 27th
Top-100 prospects: SS Ethan Holliday (19), OF Charlie Condon (61)
Los Angeles Angels
2025 finish: 72-90, 5th in AL West
Leading baseball ops: Perry Minasian, general manager (5 seasons)
2025 payroll: $228.3 million (11th, per spotrac.com)
Recent postseason history: Have not made the playoffs since they were swept out of the ALDS in 2014.
Returning 2-win players: SS Zach Neto (3.2), RHP José Soriano (3.0), OF Taylor Ward (2.9), LHP Yusei Kikuchi (2.5)
Average attendance: 32,290 (13th)
Farm system rankings: 25th
Top-100 prospects: RHP Tyler Bremner (91), RHP Ryan Johnson (96)
Minnesota Twins
2025 finish: 70-92, 4th in AL Central
Leading baseball ops: Derek Falvey, president of baseball and business operations (9 seasons)
2025 payroll: $149.1 million (22nd, per spotrac.com)
Recent postseason history: Have made the playoffs four times since 2017 but not since losing in four games in the ALDS in 2023, their deepest playoff run in that span.
Returning 2-win players: OF Byron Buxton (5.0), RHP Joe Ryan (3.1), C Ryan Jeffers (2.1)
Average attendance: 22,108 (24th)
Farm system rankings: 4th
Top-100 prospects: OF Walker Jenkins (10), SS Kaelen Culpepper (52), C Eduardo Tait (57), OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (69)
San Francisco Giants
2025 finish: 81-81, 3rd in NL West
Leading baseball ops: Buster Posey, president of baseball operations (1 season)
2025 payroll: $200.4 million (14th, per spotrac.com)
Recent postseason history: Won 107 games and the division before losing in five games in the NLDS in 2021, their only playoff since 2017.
Returning 2-win players: RHP Logan Webb (5.5), SS Willy Adames (4.0), 3B Matt Chapman (3.7), 3B Rafael Devers (3.3), C Patrick Bailey (3.2), OF Jung Hoo Lee (2.4), LHP Robbie Ray (2.2)
Average attendance: 36,121 (7th)
Farm system rankings: 16th
Top-100 prospects: 1B Bryce Eldridge (12), SS Josuar Gonzalez (82)
Washington Nationals
2025 finish: 66-96, 5th in NL East
Leading baseball ops: Paul Toboni, present of baseball operations (Hired in September)
2025 payroll: $149.8 million (21st, per spotrac.com)
Recent postseason history: Have not made the playoffs since winning the World Series in 2019; have finished last in their division in five of the last six years.
Returning 2-win players: OF James Wood (3.3), SS CJ Abrams (3.1), LHP MacKenzie Gore (2.9)
Average attendance: 23,959 (22nd)
Farm system rankings: 21st
Top-100 prospects: SS Eli Willits (15), RHP Travis Sykora (49), RHP Jarlin Susana (87)
Originally Published: October 15, 2025 at 4:01 PM PDT