Losing key talent while making minimal gains, the Padres face a critical winter. Can they salvage their roster before it's too late?
Fans of the San Diego Padres have no doubt endured one of the most frustrating offseasons so far this winter. After back-to-back 90+ win seasons that resulted in early postseason exits, the Padres theoretically should have entered this offseason hungrier than ever to finally get over the hump.
That certainly hasn’t been the case so far, with the Friars losing more talent than they’ve acquired. Because of this, it comes as no surprise that San Diego made an appearance in the list of five teams having the worst offseasons so far.
The biggest move made by the Padres this winter has been re-signing starting pitcher Michael King on a three-year, $75 million contract. It was undoubtedly a good move, and a necessary one, by the front office to bring King back. During his Padres tenure, King has posted an ERA of 3.10 across 46 games.
Still, it doesn’t make up for the fact that they lost starter Dylan Cease in free agency to the Toronto Blue Jays. The starting rotation in San Diego is very thin, and the reports indicate that it may be even thinner in due time as the front office has been open to trading right-handed starter Nick Pivetta since the start of the offseason. King’s return looks great on paper, but it certainly shouldn’t be the headline of the winter for the club, especially with the players it has lost.
The Padres also will be without reliever Robert Suarez and first baseman Ryan O’Hearn in 2026 after they both signed deals with other clubs in free agency. Likely, they won’t be with the services of first baseman Luis Arraez, either, as he remains on the free agent market.
So, as it stands, San Diego will be without at least one of their top-end starters last season, a sub-3.00 reliever, and possibly two first basemen. They have more holes to fill than they entered this offseason with, and the front office doesn’t have much time left to fill them.
The Padres have signed Korean infielder Sung-Mun Song to a four-year deal and left-handed pitcher Kyle Hart to a one-year contract, but it doesn't come close to making up for what they’ve lost.
It’s no secret that the Padres are going through difficult financial times, but if they continue to operate in the way they have been this winter, it’d be foolish to expect a better 2026 season than what we saw in 2025. Padres fans desperately need general manager A.J. Preller to work his magic in the trade market to turn this questionable offseason around.