The Padres’ first offseason under new owners José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones comes with plenty of uncertainty, especially when it comes to how aggressively they’ll spend in free agency.
San Diego just won 91 games in 2026, and several useful pieces from that club are set to hit the market. But not everyone has the same odds of sticking around.
Some of the names are obvious candidates to return. Michael King, if he opts out, and Adrian Morejon were important parts of the rotation and bullpen.
Walker Buehler climbed from non-roster invitee in spring training to co-leading the team in starts. Jason Adam, Ty France, Luis Rengifo and Austin Hays also made real contributions before becoming free agents in 2027.
Still, the Padres are unlikely to keep everybody, and a few players look especially vulnerable to a departure before Opening Day 2027.
The clearest case against a return belongs to Chris Mize. San Diego brought him in at the deadline as a sensible add, but his numbers in brown and yellow never held up.
He went 2-4 with a 7.46 ERA after the trade, and the Padres didn’t even trust him enough to use him in the postseason. Mize had enough value with the Detroit Tigers over the previous two seasons to land a multi-year deal at age 29, but it doesn’t look like San Diego will be the team to make that kind of offer.
Jordan Ray’s finish wasn’t much better. The veteran left-hander came over in a deadline deal with the San Francisco Giants and posted a 3-2 record with a 5.02 ERA.
In the playoffs, he allowed three runs over two shortened appearances. At 35, he’s past the stage where teams usually bet on a rebound, and the Padres are unlikely to bring him back.
The same goes for Joe Canning, whose mutual option makes a reunion awkward from the start. Those deals are rarely picked up because both sides have to agree on the exact salary figure. If there’s still interest, San Diego and Canning could always work out a fresh contract, but the Padres are not expected to stretch to keep him after he put up a 5.68 ERA in 30 games in 2026.
Ramon Laureano’s path back also looks shaky. A hip injury shut down his season in June, and before that he hit just .203 in 53 games. San Diego is more likely to give Samad Taylor, who remains under team control, another look than hand Laureano a second chance in free agency.
Mikey Andujar provided occasional offense, hitting .259/.303/.423, but he also spent time on the injured list twice during the regular season. He got a few postseason at-bats, yet the bigger issue is that he’ll turn 32 in March and his defense has slipped enough to make him more of a problem than a solution.
Then there’s Freddy Fermin, who might be the most movable of the bunch. He’s entering his second year of arbitration eligibility after making $2.1 million in 2026, so a raise wouldn’t break the bank.
The issue is roster fit: the Padres probably won’t want to carry three catchers after Ethan Salas surfaced late in the season as a legitimate big-league option. With that kind of market for a backup catcher, a trade is very much in play.
In Other News...
Padres Deadline Gamble Became A Frustrating Miss When It Mattered Most
When San Diego went shopping at the deadline, it was looking for help that could stabilize the roster and deepen the pitching mix for the stretch run. The Padres came away with pitcher Casey Mize and infielder Gage Workman from Detroit, parting with prospects Kash Mayfield and Jackson Wolf in a move that was supposed to make sense in the moment and look even better later.
Instead, the deal has been hard to defend as the season has played out. Mize never found much traction after arriving in San Diego, and the expected boost on the mound never really materialized before an ankle injury sent him to the injured list. What was framed as a calculated gamble now reads more like a frustrating miss, especially with the Padres having paid real prospect capital for a return that fell well short of what they needed. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Suddenly Linked To An Outfield Move That Could Test Tatis
The Padres offseason search for offense may already have a familiar name attached to it. MLB insider Robert Murray of FanSided reported that San Diego could pursue a trade for Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan, a two-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner who has long made sense as the kind of contact-heavy, high-floor player the Padres have tended to value when looking at ways to stabilize the lineup and the outfield.
Kwan would not just be another depth add, though. San Diego has shown past interest in him, and if the club seriously pushes in that direction, it could force some real thought about how the batting order is constructed around Fernando Tatis Jr. for next season, which is part of what makes this rumor worth watching as the winter market develops. [Read more 🡒]
Michael King Just Addressed The Padres Question Fans Keep Asking
Michael Kings postseason run naturally stirred up the kind of contract chatter that follows any pitcher who looks like hes raised his value on the biggest stage. For Padres fans, the question has lingered because King is not just another arm in the rotation, he has become one of the most important pieces of the staff and a pitcher the organization would prefer to keep in place.
King addressed the speculation directly and made clear he would like to stay in San Diego, describing the city as a second home. The contract mechanics still leave room for a decision down the road, with money and timing set to become a bigger part of the conversation as the deal moves forward, but for now the more interesting part is the tone King set after the season: he sounded like someone who wants this to keep going. [Read more 🡒]