The San Diego Padres haven’t been making a lot of noteworthy additions lately, but have taken care of their own recently, signing multiple players to one-year deals that will help avoid arbitration squabbles.
The list includes reliever Adrian Morejon, as previous reported, with the other players including reliever Jason Adam, prospective first baseman Gavin Sheets, starter JP Sears, reliever Mason Miller and catcher Freddy Fermin. The one other player who was arbitration-eligible was catcher Luis Campusano, but he came to an agreement for 2026 back in November.
According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Adam will make $6.675 million, Morejon will make $3.9 million, Sheets will make $4.5 million, Miller will make $4 million and Fermin will make $2.1 million. These contracts will ensure that the bullpen stays strong, and that the catching situation remains stable, plus having Sheets signed gives the Padres more overall versatility heading into spring training.
This is one area where GM A.J. Preller typically excels. He has yet to go to arbitration with any players since taking the job in 2014, and according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com, very few players have even made it beyond the deadline to exchange prospective salary numbers.
It’s an impressive record, and it’s especially important this year. The Padres aren’t making any major moves, so it’s looking more and more like they’ll enter spring training with most of the same club that won 90 games, albeit minus ace Dylan Cease and first baseman/left fielder Ryan O’Hearn.
In addition, the Padres maintain control over all of these players, save for Adam and Morejon, who both have one more season before they can become free agents. The Padres have two more seasons of control over Sheets, and three each with Sears and Campusano.
Part of the reason for these settlements is the trade possibility. Miller was recently mentioned in rumors with the Mets, but nothing came of them. That could change now that these deals have been done, but that’s just a guess at this point.
For the moment, the Padres will be making only minor moves going forward. Nothing will happen until Preller’s status and budget have been clarified, along with the status of the team’s sale. Once that happens, the players who thought they might be secure today may not be up until spring training. It’s not the ideal way to run the franchise, but that’s where the Padres are right now.