How Much Money Do San Diego Padres Have to Work With, and How Should They Spend It?

San Diego Padres ownership has been in shambles all offseason. That’s its own saga, but long story short, Padres fans are worried that their time as one of baseball’s highest-spending organizations may be over. With over $40 million coming off the books and no rumored big moves, it looked like the beginning of a slow decline back to the pre-COVID days of $80-110 million dollar rosters. No more $200+ million teams and no more superstar paydays.

That was until Padres Chairman John Seidler said the team aims to keep next year’s payroll similar to the 2025 figure of $221 million. There is hope!

As of now, San Diego has just over $160 million allocated for next season. After arbitration, assuming the Padres retain all their notable players (including Jason Adam and Adrian Morejon), that number will be around $190 million. That gives the Padres somewhere in the ballpark of $30 million to work with. With a highly active general manager, AJ Preller, at the helm and $30 million available, this offseason just got very exciting for San Diego.

Here’s what we know: The Padres let go of Dylan Cease. I’d assume that means they don’t want to spend this money recklessly. Cease projects to be great, but he hasn’t exactly been consistent across his career. They also probably won’t retain Luis Arraez, another high-risk talent given his poor 2025 season. Then there’s Michael King, an injury prone, high-ceiling option whom the Padres are at least open to keeping.

The losses of Cease and Arraez are hard to evaluate. Cease is an expensive, metric-supported arm, while Arraez is an anti-metric, cheaper bat. You can’t use those players to predict the Padres’ direction, other than to say they want to move on from 2025 underperformers.

So, how can they spend their money?

Add a Premier Starter

San Diego’s rotation is far from complete, especially if they can’t retain King. The first name that comes to mind is, ironically, José Berríos. The 2025 Blue Jays Opening Day starter finds himself the odd man out of Toronto’s 2026 staff and could swap places with Cease. His $20 million salary in 2026 fits the Padres’ books nicely, and he brings much-needed stability. Berríos has never thrown fewer than 150 innings in a season (besides 2020) and has never posted a FIP over five.

Or, they could aim higher and trade for Tarik Skubal. Every team wants him — he’s the best pitcher in baseball. That would require conversations with ownership about extending him, but Preller loves shock value.

One of the weakest points of the 2025 staff was the lack of left-handers. They tried to fix it at the deadline with Nestor Cortes and JP Sears, but both struggled. Splurging on someone like Framber Valdez would also be worth it. If he’s unavailable, Ranger Suárez is another strong option who’s been dominant in both the regular season and postseason for the Phillies.

Bring Back Michael King

This would cost similar money to adding Berríos (around $20 million annually). Preller could weigh the pros and cons of each pitcher, or shed around $10 million in a Berríos trade and get both.

The rotation certainly has room, which is why I prefer the latter. Simply retaining King and entering 2026 at roughly $210 million with a few filler players won’t get the job done. Retaining King and adding another arm is what would give the Padres a legitimately dangerous rotation:

Nick Pivetta
José Berríos or Other
Michael King
Joe Musgrove
Randy Vásquez

That's not necessarily equivalent to the Dodgers' world-beating group, but it is a competitive quintet with some depth.

Carefully Add to the Infield

With Arraez and Ryan O’Hearn entering free agency, the Padres have a huge hole in their lineup. They need more power than Arraez provided and real reinforcements at first base and designated hitter. Signing a pure platoon bat like Paul Goldschmidt or Rhys Hoskins would save money, but neither projects to perform all that well in 2026. That money would be better spent moving on from platooning altogether and adding everyday bats.

Retaining O’Hearn could save salary while giving them a full-time first baseman, but he’s reportedly in talks with smaller-market teams like the Pirates and White Sox. It’s best to let those organizations overpay for mid-tier players and aim higher.

A big name like Pete Alonso would solve the issue entirely. If not him, signing someone like JT Realmuto (as a catcher/DH) or trading for Yandy Díaz/Vinnie Pasquantino would fit nicely. The key is avoiding a platoon situation where no one finds their footing. We aren’t the Rays, after all.

Whether through a blockbuster trade or savvy free-agent signings, San Diego has salary room to work with and clear areas requiring improvement.

What do you think the Padres should do with their $30 million? Sounds off in the comments below!