The San Diego Padres roster is likely to look vastly different for the 2026 season and beyond, starting with the manager.
The Padres hired former Major League Baseball pitcher and former Padre Craig Stammen to be the next manager after Mike Shildt retired following the conclusion of the National League Wild Card Series.
Offensively, the team should have a familiar look but expect general manager A.J. Preller to add depth at certain positions, like left field, catcher and possibly the right side of the infield. Core players like Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill are locked up long-term, so San Diego more than likely shifts toward depth pieces rather than a star position player like a Kyle Tucker.
A lot of the changes will be within the pitching staff. Starting pitchers Dylan Cease and Michael King will test free agency, and veteran right-hander Yu Darvish underwent ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery and will miss the entirety of the 2026 season.
Three of the five starting pitchers are likely to be gone by Opening Day, so Preller will need to add a lot of pitching in the offseason to reconfigure his rotation. There is a flamethrowing reliever that wants to be a starter, someone named Mason Miller, but it remains to be seen if San Diego will grant Miller’s request. Losing 60 percent of their 2025 starting rotation may make the decision easier for the Padres.
But if the team can’t bring star closer Robert Suarez back, Miller will almost certainly step back into his natural role as the team’s closer.
Suarez had a phenomenal season and has been one of MLB’s top shutdown relievers over the past few seasons. In 2025, Suarez had 40 saves (second in MLB) with a 2.97 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in 70 appearances, a new career-high.
San Diego extended a qualifying offer to Suarez, but the expectation is he will decline to test free agency. Considering he has found great success as a Padre, he may be inclined to come back for the right price, but teams are desperate for game-changing relievers and the Padres will probably find themselves in a bidding war for Suarez’s services.
Suarez will be 35-years-old when next season rolls around, so his age will affect how teams will assess his value. He didn’t show any signs of slowing down this past season, so expect Suarez to land a lucrative deal in the three-to-five-year range this offseason.