The Padres are already deep into their offseason review, and a video call with GM A.J. Preller and manager Craig Stammen gave a clearer picture of where things stand with the roster, the coaching staff and a handful of injured players.
One of the first topics was starter Nick Pivetta. There still wasn’t anything new beyond what had already been reported elsewhere this week: San Diego can exercise Pivetta’s option for next season, but doing so would also give him an option for the year after that.
Preller also addressed Yu Darvish, who missed last season following elbow surgery and had been considering retirement. With Darvish’s name again surfacing in comeback chatter, Preller said the club had checked in with the veteran right-hander because of the work he has put in to “at least give himself an option,” per Preller.
Joe Musgrove’s situation is less certain. Preller stopped short of saying the right-hander will be back next year after Musgrove’s comeback attempt ended with a last-minute trip onto the playoff roster. He never got past four innings in his rehab outings, and his role - and even whether he can be part of the 2026 picture - remains an offseason question.
If Musgrove eventually winds up in the bullpen, that would give an already strong relief group another big arm. It would also leave the rotation with a bigger hole to fill.
There was also word that the Padres plan to be “more proactive” in their offseason shopping, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. After last winter brought very little movement while the team was up for sale, a quiet offseason this time around would stand out for a different reason.
On the coaching side, Stammen said most of the staff is expected to return, though he didn’t tip his hand about any possible departures.
Stammen also provided updates on two more players. Jeremiah Estrada, who went through multiple IL stints because of elbow tendinitis, knee inflammation and a shoulder impingement, is now on a throwing program. Preller said Estrada may have been available if the Padres had advanced to the NLCS.
As for Gavin Sheets, the expectation is that he’ll choose rest and rehab instead of surgery for plantar fasciitis. He dealt with the injury for much of the season.
In Other News...
Padres Fans Have Every Right To Be Angry Over Manny Machado Snub
Manny Machado put together the kind of season that usually makes Gold Glove recognition feel routine. At third base, he ranked at the top of qualified National League players in Outs Above Average and Fielding Run Value, the sort of defensive resume that tends to speak for itself when the hardware conversation starts. For Padres fans, it was the familiar mix of watching Machado anchor the left side of the infield and assuming the national awards would catch up to what was obvious on the field.
Instead, Machado was left off the Gold Glove finalist list, with Alex Bregman, Javier Sanoja and Max Muncy getting the nod at third. The omission is a reminder that the award is not decided by advanced metrics alone, since manager and coach voting plays a major role alongside the SABR Defensive Index. For a player whose defense was strong enough to headline the position all season, the snub leaves San Diego with a fair gripe and a lingering question about how the voting process weighed his case. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Suddenly Have A Bigger Gavin Sheets Problem Than Expected
The Padres entered the winter expecting Gavin Sheets to be part of the conversation as a left-handed bench option, but his foot injury has introduced a new layer of uncertainty. While surgery is not expected this offseason, the real issue for San Diego is whether Sheets will be ready enough to count on when the season opens, or whether the club has to keep planning around his availability instead of his role.
That leaves the front office with a familiar kind of February problem: finding depth before it becomes a necessity. If the Padres want a safer left-handed bat on the bench, free-agent possibilities such as Nathaniel Lowe or Cedric Mullins offer more reliable health and offense on paper, which is why Sheets' status now matters more than it first did. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Already Have A 2027 Rotation Problem Preller Can't Ignore
By the time the Padres get to 2027, the shape of the rotation could look a lot sturdier on paper than it does in practice. Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish, Michael King, Nick Pivetta and Randy Vsquez are all tied to that season in some form, giving San Diego a head start on roster planning and a base of names that would look familiar to the front office.
But the hard part is knowing how much of that group can actually be counted on. Injuries, opt-out clauses and simple performance uncertainty leave enough doubt that the Padres may have to keep searching for more pitching help well before 2027 arrives. For A.J. Preller, it is the kind of long-view problem that can quietly become a major one if the organization does not keep layering in options. [Read more 🡒]