The Padres are staring at an offseason that could shape the next stretch of the franchise, and the list of priorities is a long one. With president of baseball operations AJ Preller in charge and as many as 17 free agents potentially heading out the door, San Diego has no shortage of decisions to make before Opening Day 2027.
At the top of the board is Michael King, who has been exactly what the Padres hoped for after landing him in the Juan Soto deal from the New York Yankees. When healthy, he has been outstanding.
This past season, King posted a 3.21 ERA over a career-high 185 innings and set a personal best with a 4.3 bWAR. He then delivered in October, too, throwing 14 postseason innings across two starts and one relief appearance with a save while finishing with a 0.64 ERA.
In a year when quality starting pitching was at a premium, King was as good as his name.
Keeping him won’t come cheap. He is expected to decline his $28 million player option, which puts him on the market at a time when San Diego can least afford another hole in the rotation. Still, King has made clear how much he values the place, saying he loves the city and that it feels like “a second home.”
The Padres also have to figure out what to do with Ryan O’Hearn, whose run with the team came out of nowhere and turned into a major reason they were even in the postseason conversation. He began the year on a minor league deal, yet finished with a 4.5 bWAR season, hit .295 and carried an OPS+ nearly 40% above league average.
He was even better after the break, batting .321 with a .908 OPS in the second half as the offense finally started to wake up. That kind of production is going to cost more in 2027, far beyond the $1.35 million he made this year.
Then there’s Adrian Morejon, who may be on his way to the kind of payday that changes the shape of a bullpen. The left-hander turned in a 2.83 ERA this season and has a 2.58 mark across his last three years with San Diego.
The source of the momentum isn’t just the numbers, either. After the Padres were knocked out in the National League Division Series, Morejon was asked whether he wanted to return, and he said, “everybody knows that” he wants to.
The lineup has its own problem spot, and it has been there all season: left field. The Padres got inconsistent offense overall, but the production in left was especially thin.
The platoon combined to hit .251 with 16 home runs, and six of those homers came from Gavin Sheets, who spent most of his time this season at DH or first base. San Diego needs a true everyday left fielder moving forward, even if that means paying more than it might for some of the other targets on the offseason board.
One more move could help make the rest of it possible. Trading Jake Cronenworth would not be popular, but the Padres may need the financial relief.
A deal would clear $12 million per year through 2030, and the baseball case has also been trending in that direction. Cronenworth hit .225 in an injury-filled seventh season in San Diego and has been well below his 2022 peak for a while now.
Defensively, he has graded as a below-average Outs Above Average defender every season since 2023, and his arm strength has been below average since his debut.
There would also be a ripple effect beyond the payroll. A Cronenworth trade could open the door for Fernando Tatis Jr. to move back to the infield, something he has long said he prefers. If that blockbuster happens, the Padres would gain both roster flexibility and real money to spend elsewhere.
In Other News...
Padres Should Let Tucker Musgrove Decide Their Next Bullpen Move
Tucker Musgroves 2026 season gave the Padres a real reason to pause before rushing to add another veteran arm. In 34 1/3 innings, he piled up 68 strikeouts, which is the kind of swing-and-miss stuff teams covet from the middle innings, even if the command still needs work. For San Diego, the question is not whether the talent is there, but whether the organization should let that talent breathe a little longer before cluttering the bullpen picture.
Musgroves walk issues make the next step less about projections and more about opportunity. Before the Padres chase another experienced reliever, they should see whether he can sharpen his command and force his way into the 2027 mix on merit. A clear chance to compete for a bullpen role would tell the club a lot about where he stands, and it might save them from buying insurance before they know what they already have. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Prospects Are Forcing A Tough Preller Trade Question
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Musgrove stands out as the one top-ten prospect who could realistically factor into the big league picture next year if he sharpens his control, which only adds to the pressure on how San Diego values its system. A.J. Preller is expected to explore trade options involving prospects at the upcoming GM meetings, so the question is not just which young players the Padres believe in, but which ones they might be willing to use to upgrade the roster now. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Roster Picture Is Changing Faster Than Fans Realize
The Padres roster picture is already shifting around the edges, and Ethan Salas remains one of the biggest reasons why. The youngest catcher ever to appear in a postseason game is expected to see more action in San Diego by 2027, even with plenty of competition at his position. For a club that has spent plenty of time balancing short-term contention with long-term development, Salas continues to stand out as a name fans should keep tracking.
He is not the only minor leaguer who could matter soon. Gutierrez has put himself into the conversation as another potential piece for next season, while Hawkins could end up in a bullpen role if departures open the door. The Padres have been evaluating recent performances closely, and the next wave of internal options may arrive faster than many around the team realize. [Read more 🡒]