Three questions for the Padres’ offseason

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CHICAGO — Last summer, as the San Diego Padres went from a .500 team to the winningest second-half outfit in the majors, a sense of joy attended their run toward the postseason. They pitched. They hit. They repeatedly did both at the same time. They rallied from deficits large and small. It quickly became a season to remember, even though it ended in gut-wrenching fashion.

Thursday night inside Wrigley Field’s visiting clubhouse, the Padres insisted that this year’s club was just as tight-knit. The product on the field, however, had been noticeably more disjointed. A slog of a summer had turned into an all-too-brief jaunt in the playoffs. Another tantalizing opportunity had flown by for a core of aging players.

Next year, everyone will be even older and, San Diego can hope, wiser for the experience. This sport has repeatedly shown that no competitive window should be taken for granted.

Did the Padres just waste their best remaining chance at the franchise’s first title? In an era of expanded postseasons and October randomness, maybe not.

Still, another largely successful season has ended with relatively few answers and at least these three questions.

How can the offense regain some power?

The Padres ranked first in the majors in sacrifice bunts — and 28th in home runs. That’s a tidy summation of an offense that looked somewhat out of place in the year 2025. Yes, Petco Park’s pitcher-friendly environment encouraged San Diego to cut against the grain, but consider: The Padres hit 77 home runs in their home venue; meanwhile, their well-regarded pitching staff served up 86 in the same building.

None of the Padres’ biggest names excelled in the slugging department. While Manny Machado hit at least 27 home runs for the 10th time in his career, Xander Bogaerts produced only 11 for a second consecutive season. Jackson Merrill, who, like Bogaerts, missed time because of injuries, showed some growing pains en route to 16 home runs. The most disappointing offensive campaign belonged to Fernando Tatis Jr., who settled at 25 homers after declaring in February that he could still be the best performer in baseball.

Importing an elite slugger like Kyle Schwarber or Pete Alonso is not in the plans, especially when San Diego already has six nine-figure contracts on the books. Letting Luis Arraez walk in free agency and acquiring a heavier-hitting first baseman might help. The Padres could exercise Ramón Laureano’s club option and hope that he replicates his 2025 resurgence. But the fact remains that the Padres obviously need more thump in their lineup.

Ramón Laureano, who joined the Padres at the trade deadline, was one of the team’s best hitters until he fractured his right index finger in late September. (Harry How / Getty Images)

To acquire it, they might have to get creative. If Tatis appears unlikely to return to his pre-suspension production levels, would the Padres at least explore his trade market? Like Machado and Bogaerts, Tatis can veto any deal, and it would be difficult to recoup fair value for a player of his caliber. In other words, it seems unlikely.

In the meantime, however, Machado and Bogaerts aren’t getting any younger. How will the Padres escape small-ball stasis?

Who will fill out the starting rotation?

Nick Pivetta is the early favorite to start Opening Day, and he might end up being the only logical choice. Michael King and Dylan Cease are likely to leave in free agency. Yu Darvish, with the state of his elbow, might be nearing the end of his career. Joe Musgrove will be attempting to return from Tommy John surgery. The Padres would run a major injury risk if they attempt to convert Mason Miller back to a starter; the last time the reliever started in the majors, he wound up spraining his UCL.

So, for now, there doesn’t project to be much depth beyond Pivetta, Musgrove, Darvish and Randy Vásquez, who continues to outperform his underlying numbers. At this summer’s trade deadline, the Padres shipped out two up-and-coming starters, Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek, along with other pitching prospects. The organization appears to have limited remaining capital to trade this winter for big-league-caliber starting pitching.

And for all the woes on offense, starting pitching might be the No. 1 need; a shallow rotation put inordinate pressure on the rest of the roster in the National League Wild Card Series. The Padres ostensibly must rely on president of baseball operations A.J. Preller to keep finding ways to acquire/unearth competent starting pitching on a budget.

Will there be any notable changes in off-the-field leadership?

Preller, who has arguably done his finest work on a tighter budget, is approaching the final year of his contract. In a statement to The Athletic last week, team chairman John Seidler briefly praised the general manager and CEO Erik Greupner, adding that “all discussions about the future will take place at the appropriate time in the offseason.”

Well, the offseason is already here. Preller no longer has the unwavering support of the late Peter Seidler, and the Padres, despite spending an unprecedented amount of resources over the past decade, have advanced beyond the second round of the postseason only once.

They’ve also won 90-plus games in two consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history. They’ve drawn more than 3 million fans to Petco Park each of the last three years, with flashy rosters as the main attraction. For some members of the organization, it’s difficult to envision an imminent change in Preller’s seat.

At the same time, a pending lawsuit and baseball’s labor unrest might contribute to making a contract extension unlikely. Another early-round postseason exit will at least prompt discussions about the composition of both the front office and the coaching staff.

(Top photo of Fernando Tatis Jr.: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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