The San Diego Padres have some real work to do this offseason, and the outfield could be one of the places they attack first.
Left field was a revolving door in 2026. Ramon Laureano, Samad Taylor, Luis Rengifo, Dustin Harris, Gavin Sheets and Jase Bowen all took turns there, which tells you plenty about how unsettled that spot was. Right field and center field look far more stable with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill, but the Padres may still want more impact on the grass - especially if they decide to bring in another right fielder and shift Tatis Jr. back to the infield, where he prefers to play.
That’s why Seiya Suzuki has surfaced as a name to watch. The Japanese outfielder is one of the top free agents available this winter, and Nicholas Selbe of Sports Illustrated predicted San Diego would land him on a four-year, $110 million deal.
Will Laws of Sports Illustrated made the case this way: "Yes, it’s a down year for bats if Suzuki is our top-ranked hitter with MLB experience. That being said, he was nothing if not consistent with the Cubs, averaging 25 home runs with something between 140 and 147 hits over the last four years with a .833 OPS, never registering a wRC+ below 123," Will Laws of Sports Illustrated wrote. "Suzuki might end up being overpaid due to the shallow market for dependable bats, but it’d also be shocking if he let his new team [down] too much during the first few years of his contract."
San Diego has already shown interest in Suzuki, according to multiple reports, and the fit is obvious enough. He’s coming off a strong year with the Cubs, hitting .270 with an .841 OPS, 26 home runs, 86 RBIs and 147 hits in 545 at-bats.
Suzuki, 32, is expected to turn down the qualifying offer he received and chase a long-term payday. The Padres aren’t alone in the chase, either, with the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies also reportedly in the mix.
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The Padres have added another outfield name to the mix, signing Kalai Rosario to a minor league contract after his run through the Twins organization. Rosario reached Triple-A before hitting free agency, and he arrives with a reputation built on power, the kind that can make a player stand out quickly in a crowded system.
Rosarios minor league resume has been eye-catching for a while, from being named Midwest League MVP in 2023 to winning the Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby. For San Diego, it is the sort of low-risk move that can pay off if the bat keeps translating, especially with the club always looking for depth and upside in the outfield picture. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Suddenly Have A Catching Decision That Could Change Everything
The Padres are heading into the offseason with an unusual bit of depth behind the plate, and it has already started to draw attention from around the league. Trade inquiries have come in on Freddy Fermin and Luis Campusano, and with Ethan Salas viewed as the catcher of the future, San Diego is in position to sort out a logjam that could help elsewhere on the roster.
For the Padres, the decision is less about whether they have a long-term answer at catcher and more about which veteran makes the most sense to move. Several clubs are looking for a right-handed hitting catcher, which gives San Diego a chance to turn one of its extras into value, but it also means this could become one of the more consequential roster calls of the winter. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Offseason Could Reshape The Rotation And Tatis Jrs Role
The Padres are already shaping their offseason around the same two priorities that have defined so many of their recent winters: adding impact pitching and sorting out the rest of the roster around it. They are actively pursuing top starting pitchers in free agency, while also showing interest in outfielder Seiya Suzuki, a name that has been linked to San Diego as a possible future fit. With the front office weighing those bigger-picture moves, the ripple effects could reach well beyond the rotation.
Mason Miller, fresh off being named National League Reliever of the Year, added another layer to the conversation by saying he wants the Padres to bring back fellow reliever Adrian Morejon. And if San Diego does land another outfielder, it could open the door for Fernando Tatis Jr. to move back to the infield, a shift that would change the look of the lineup and the defense at once. The Padres have plenty of moving parts this winter, and the way they sort through them may end up defining more than just the pitching staff. [Read more 🡒]