The Padres won 90 games and made the playoffs for a second straight season. They came up short in a tightly-contested Wild Card Series against the Cubs. Manager Mike Shildt retired a few days later, sending them on the hunt for the sixth full-time skipper of A.J. Preller's tenure. That comes as they face the impending free agency of two of their top starters and their closer.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Manny Machado, 3B: $301MM through 2033 (including $35MM in remaining signing bonus payments)
- Fernando Tatis Jr., RF: $286MM through 2034
- Xander Bogaerts, SS: $200MM through 2033
- Jake Cronenworth, 2B: $60MM through 2030
- Nick Pivetta, RHP: $51MM through 2028 (can opt out after '26 and '27)
- Yu Darvish, RHP: $43MM through 2028
- Joe Musgrove, RHP: $40MM through 2027
- Yuki Matsui, LHP: $19.25MM through 2028 (can opt out after '27)
- Robert Suarez, RHP: Can opt out of remaining two years and $16MM
- Wandy Peralta, LHP: Can opt out of remaining two years and $8.9MM (can also opt out after '26)
Option Decisions
- RHP Robert Suarez can opt out of two years and $16MM
- Team, RHP Michael King have $15MM mutual option ($3.75MM buyout)
- LHP Wandy Peralta can opt out of two years and $8.9MM
- Team, C Elias Díaz hold $7MM mutual option ($2MM buyout)
- Team holds $6.5MM option on LF Ramón Laureano
- Team holds $5MM option on LHP Kyle Hart ($500K buyout)
2026 guarantees (assuming only Laureano and Peralta return): $154.95MM
Total future commitments (assuming only Laureano and Peralta return): $1.022 billion through 2034
Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)
- Adrian Morejon (5.140): $3.6MM
- Jason Adam (5.132): $6.8MM
- Gavin Sheets (4.076): $4.3MM
- JP Sears (3.065): $3.5MM
- Luis Campusano (3.003): $1MM
- Mason Miller (2.166): $3.4MM
- Freddy Fermin (2.165): $1.8MM
Non-tender candidates: Adam, Sears
Free Agents
- Dylan Cease, Michael King, Robert Suarez (assuming opt out), Ryan O'Hearn, Luis Arraez, Jose Iglesias, Elias Díaz, Martín Maldonado (retired), Nestor Cortes
Every offseason in San Diego features its share of twists. This year's began within days of elimination. On October 9, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that manager Mike Shildt and president of baseball operations A.J. Preller were expected back. Two days later, Shildt informed the team he was retiring. Subsequent reporting from The SDUT's Kevin Acee pointed to discord between Shildt and his coaching staff.
It was the third consecutive managerial stint that ended in some measure of controversy. Jayce Tingler had seemingly lost the clubhouse by the time he was fired in 2021. Preller and Bob Melvin clashed to such an extent that the Padres allowed Melvin out of his contract during the 2023-24 offseason to take the same job with the division-rival Giants. Preller is still expected back for what'll be his 12th full season leading baseball operations. This will be his fifth managerial search and he's going into the final year of his contract. Reporting from Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin of The Athletic pointed to some tension between Preller and CEO Erik Greupner that raises questions about whether the Padres will extend Preller or let him work on a lame duck contract.
The managerial search is well underway and could be concluded within the next few days. Acee wrote last night that they've moved to the second round of interviews while narrowing their search to a group of finalists. Albert Pujols is the only candidate known to have gotten a second interview. Bench coach Brian Esposito and pitching coach Ruben Niebla each interviewed at least once. Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, a former Padres staffer who appeared to be the runner-up when the position went to Shildt two years back, has also been speculated as a candidate. Obviously, the managerial hiring will shape how much of Shildt's coaching staff returns.
It'd behoove the Padres to get their manager in place within the next week or so. They always have a lot to accomplish on the roster. This year is no exception, though most of their early option decisions are straightforward.
They'll exercise their $6.5MM option on Ramón Laureano, who was fantastic after being acquired from the Orioles at the trade deadline. They'll buy out lefty Kyle Hart and backup catcher Elias Díaz. Closer Robert Suarez will opt out of the remaining two years and $16MM on his contract, while Michael King has an easy call to decline his end of a $15MM mutual option in favor of a $3.75MM buyout.
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Betting on a bunch of low character guys long-term is certainly a choice.
So is judging guys’ character whom you’ve likely never met at all and have not spent any extended time around.
It would be foolish to ignore all the red flags. Machado is on the record saying he is not a guy who is gonna hustle. Tatis got popped for PED’s. Their coach apparently had numerous locker room problems. And their post game interviews leave a lot to be desired.
I don’t need to meet guys to identify issues. I never meet Stalin, But I’m pretty sure his character wasn’t great. (Not comparing Machado to Stalin lol)
Machado never said he’s not gonna hustle; he said he’s not a Johnny Hustle.
@Patriot
The coach had issues with the coaches, not the locker room.
The PED thing happened and the world should move on.
The “hustle” thing was a dumb quote that has been countered by how Manny performs in key situations when the team needs him to hustle, and how durable he has been by not hustling when doing so is unnecessary.
Don’t mention Stalin if it is not your intent to compare Manny to Stalin. Pretty simple.
You know nothing about that clubhouse nor anyone in it, and neither does OP. It is asinine and arrogant to pretend otherwise. But, I’m sure the monument to your Jesus Christ-like character is coming any day now.
I was looking forward to alittle lively internet debate until your last comment. But here goes nothing anyway!
We have the bat throw saga, all the brawls and edgy slides that Machado has been at the center of. But you can maybe chalk all that up to being hard nose. There are numerous examples of Machado not hustling, you have the infamous example in the post season when he was with the dodgers and he frequently turns what should be doubles into singles by watching fly balls. You also have the 2023 San Diego tribune article about how bad the Padres clubhouse is and mentioned Machado by name as “setting the tone”. I will also go back to some of his comments like his most recent blow up at that reporter asking a legit question.
And regardless of who the coach had issues with it shows issues inside the organization.
On Tatis you don’t get to just demand everyone forget about something. Steroids have done a ton of damage to the players and the sport. Tatis also got paid based on his pre suspension performance. That’s just straight up stealing IMO but hey everyone signed the CBA so fair enough I suppose.
And yea admittedly a stretch on the Stalin point just making the case you can make judgements on people using good information over a long period of time.
The evidence is that machado rolls with a reasonably hard core “us v the world” mindset. The world seemingly includes internal coaches. The manager has to buy into that.
Manny isn’t perfect and has done some stuff I did not like. The hustle thing I am fine with. He explained it well. I don’t need him busting it down the line on a routine ground ball. I would rather have him out there for 155+ than to roll his ankle or pull a hammy sprinting a ground ball there is no chance of beating out. In opposition to the on-field things you have mentioned, he is very involved in the San Diego community. He makes several appearances at schools with kids and gives tickets to people that can’t afford them all the time. The community really likes him.
Tatis made a number of mistakes in 2022. He rode motorcycles and crashed multiple times, hurting his wrist (first mistake). He then waited until camp to be seen by team doctors (second mistake). He used a cream with a prohibited substance on his hand to try to get it to heal faster to undo the first two mistakes (third mistake). Then he made up the ringworm story (fourth mistake). He was very dumb that year, but putting cream on your hand to heal faster and shooting up to get ripped are two very different things even though most people that don’t know the whole story try to conflate the two. He was wrong to use the cream, but saying he is a roid user is just silly.
One thing that doesn’t help is The Athletic. The 4 foot 1 editor hates the Padres since he got burned on the Scherzer trade. He regularly writes articles about how bad the Padres and anyone associated with them are. Even doing one large hit peice in the middle of an NLDS he was covering for Fox. His intent was two-fold to get in the Padres head to hinder them in the series and to turn public opinion on them. The casual baseball fan will see his sludge and take it for gospel.
What excuse do you use for every other baseball writer that has it in for the Padre’s ?
The alternative scenario is that a hard core group of Padre fans find themselves permanently jumping at media shadows.
On the guaranteed money list I’m pretty sure they forgot Jackson Merrill signed an extension. Laureano gets picked up no question. Cease and Bob are gone, and King likely will be too.
Hope they can get a couple of starters. If they are to the point of using JP Sears it’s going to be really tough. Bullpen is still the strength, they have to keep Peralta and Matsui as garbage time pitchers to take the meaningless innings so real pitchers don’t waste their arms.
On the offense I don’t even know what they can do. I’m fine with bringing Arraez back, that said I know they need more pop as well. I would like Schwarber (who has hit the longest HR at Petco) that would be a good start.
I would like to see a new hitting coach. They looked lost at the plate especially against really bad pitchers. They did not look prepared at all. They relied on stringing together hits to score runs. That works sometimes, but you need pop and they didn’t have any.
They apparently forgot Merrill even exists. He’s not mentioned at all.
I would definitely launch Sears into the sun, Yuki too [eat the contract]. The Padres have several relievers that are MLB ready and can outperform Yuki.
Sears is a relatively cheap 4/5 under control, might as well see what he has because this team needs a lot of pitching help. Yuki is not cheap, but guaranteed for at least 3 more years and Padres do not have much lefty depth. I’m fine with cutting bait on him this year if he doesn’t make some meaningful improvements.
I cannot stand another season of Arraez unless it’s a pitiful 1-year deal and he’s willing to adjust his approach. He gives away way too many ABs and counts.
No on Arraez. Can’t watching him hit a weak fly ball to left field one more time.
No Luis Campusano as a non-tender candidate? He didn’t have a single hit in 2025, is a terrible defensive catcher and by my count is now out of options.
I’m not sure how much better they can do than Campusano for ~$1M; I do think it’s time to figure out what they wanna do with him. Is he a catcher? 1B/DH/PH? It’s so strange to me how quick Preller is to flip guys who don’t rapidly develop into MLBers, yet Campusano has been hanging around for the better part of a half-decade.
Yeah. They haven’t had a long term answer at C. I think Preller was hoping he’d get there. He flashed offensive upside in 2023 and then slid back down in 2024. Missed his chance to recoup assets at that point. I guess he figured he was the best optionable catching option this year? I think team and player should move on this offseason though.
I think he still hasn’t shown his full potential. 2024 was abysmal, but he got almost nothing in 2025 while positively ranking at AAA. Even a .750-OPS type bat would be huge for this team. I hope he gets his shot somewhere, even if it’s not with SD.
“Reporting from Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin of The Athletic pointed to some tension between Preller and CEO Erik Greupner that raises questions about whether the Padres will extend Preller or let him work on a lame duck contract.”
Erik Greupner explicitly refuted The Athletic’s report when interviewed on 97.3 The Fan, taken for what anyone will.
True 4 foot 1 Rosenthal and his lap dog Lin despise the Padres and want to sew division as much as they can and they don’t care how much they have to lie to do it.
The Preller extension is taking a long time to negotiate.
@foppert3 “Long” by what standard? It is reasonable to wait until at least after the World Series before reading into it.
That said, if no extension comes at all, The Athletic might have been right.
Gruepner told me Seidler was negotiating that with Preller over a week ago. Maybe they are waiting to announce it. Maybe not.
@foppert13 Well, Greupner told me to mute you. Sorry, gotta listen to the CEO.
Ha ha. Devastating news. Not sure where that came from ! Too funny. Fire away champ.
I think the Padres need to add LF, a catcher who can hit well, along with some arms to stabilize the pitching staff.
They have Laureano next year but long-term LF is a need.
Tear it down
lol
“One can never count on Preller for anything on the trade front.”
Presuming you meant to say “count out”?
Petco rocks even on a Tuesday night. They have all-stars flanked by AAAA. Not sure if the strategy takes them to the World Series but they’ve gotten pretty close. Pretty close has gotten sellout crowds and the backing of a city not known for backing sports franchises (Chargers, Clippers, Gulls, Rockets to name a few).
Any reason why I’m seeing buzz sprout podcast ads In the subscriber platform?