The Padres spent a few months careening from seller talk to one of baseball’s hottest teams, only to run into a Brewers club that shut the door in the National League Division Series. That run changed the way the roster looks from the outside. San Diego does not look as desperate as it did at its lowest point, and it also does not look quite as complete as it did when everything was rolling.
Even so, the offseason checklist is pretty clear.
The biggest issue sits on the mound, where the Padres could be staring at major turnover. Michael King has a $28 million player option for next season, and the expectation is that he will decline it.
Robbie Ray, Walker Buehler and Casey Mize are also heading toward free agency, and that means four-fifths of the rotation could need to be rebuilt. Exercising the club option on Nick Pivetta is barely a solution at all.
That weakness was on display in the series loss to Milwaukee, where the Padres’ rotation simply didn’t measure up. And this isn’t just about bringing back familiar faces. Mize is the only one in that group who was under 30 this season, and he finished himself out of the postseason rotation by posting a 7.46 ERA in 10 starts down the stretch.
So now the question is how A.J. Preller patches it together.
Last offseason, he mixed and matched low-risk additions like Griffin Canning, German Marquez and Buehler. He could try that again, or he could go trade hunting.
Either way, the 2027 rotation could wind up looking a lot like this one - or nothing like it at all.
There’s also work to do in the outfield, where the depth chart needs more bodies. Ramon Laureano’s season ended in June with a hip injury, and Samad Taylor was a surprise midseason fill-in, producing 0.8 WAR in 47 games.
That was enough to beat expectations, not enough to draw any firm conclusions. If the Padres bring back Luis Rengifo, he’s an option in left field after his season-ending injury in August.
Taylor Ward stands out as the top name in what is otherwise a thin free-agent class.
Another area that could shift quickly is the bullpen, even if it isn’t the most obvious problem on the board. Losing Jason Adam and Adrian Morejon to free agency would take San Diego’s greatest strength and make it vulnerable.
Morejon has become one of the game’s steadiest left-handed setup men, which is why replacing him would be so difficult. The Padres could re-sign him and even stretch him out as a starter, but that would simply move the hole somewhere else.
Adam, 35, posted a 2.62 ERA in the regular season, though injuries limited him to 38 appearances.
And while San Diego does not need a closer, it does need to put Mason Miller in position to actually finish games. He can’t carry that load by himself.
In Other News...
Padres Fans Just Got An Offseason Glimpse Of Rising Arm Bradgley Rodriguez
Bradgley Rodriguezs offseason started the way a lot of young pitchers in San Diego do, with a little bit of buzz and a lot of attention. The Padres right-hander, who debuted in 2025, has quickly become one of the more interesting arms on the roster, and after the clubs playoff exit at the hands of the Brewers, he gave fans a fresh look at how he spent the early part of the winter.
The update had nothing to do with mechanics or a throwing program. Rodriguez unveiled a full arm sleeve tattoo, a personal touch that stood out almost as much as his work on the mound this year. After a strong regular season and a steady postseason contribution, it was a reminder that even in the aftermath of elimination, one of San Diegos rising pitchers is already moving into the next chapter. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Enter Crucial First Offseason Under Owners Facing Immediate Pressure
Jos E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones are now officially in charge of the Padres after MLBs unanimous approval of their $3.9 billion purchase, ending the Seidler familys ownership run and putting the franchise into a new era with immediate expectations attached. The new group has already pledged to keep investing in the club and maintaining the organizations community focus, a reassuring message for a fan base that has grown used to ambition at the top.
The timing, though, makes this a far more demanding handoff than a standard changeover. San Diego has just come out of the 2026 postseason and now heads into an offseason loaded with roster uncertainty, from looming free-agent decisions to the question of how Joe Musgrove fits as he comes back from injury. For owners who arrive with pressure already baked in, the first winter is rarely about patience, and this one could set the tone for everything that follows. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Suddenly Face A Michael King Question They Didn't Want
Michael Kings first season in San Diego gave the Padres exactly what they hoped for when they brought him in, but it also created a new layer of uncertainty they would rather not be dealing with this soon. After finishing a strong year and helping anchor the staff, King was asked about the possibility of opting out of his contract this winter, a topic that naturally follows when a pitcher boosts his value the way he did.
For the Padres, the issue is less about the question itself than what it could mean down the road. King is heading into a pivotal offseason consideration, and if he chooses to test the market, he could quickly become one of the more desirable free-agent arms available. San Diego would prefer the conversation stay focused on continuity, but the fact that it has to have this conversation at all is a reminder that a good season can sometimes complicate the future. [Read more 🡒]