Steve Drumwright

The San Diego Padres have made their move to retain one of their top relievers. Now the question is: Will he accept it? Left-hander Adrian Morejon was given a $23.15 million qualifying offer for the 2027 season on Monday. Morejon, one of eight players to receive a qualifying offer this offseason, now has 10 days to decide whether to accept it or become a free agent. No other Padres free agent received a qualifying offer. Morejon had been expected to be the top reliever on the market, expected to fetch a multiyear contract worth as much as $20 million by some estimates. The 27-year-old boosted his value this season by pitching a career-high 84 innings and 76 games, while crushing his previous career best with 107 strikeouts (71 in 2024). Finding a few more ticks on his four-seamer, which averaged 99.4 mph this year, his strikeout rate went from a career mark of 24.2% all the way up to 30.4% in 2026. His walk rate, however, suffered, going from 6.9% in his first seven seasons to 8% this year. The Padres would be due draft-pick compensation if Morejon declines the qualifying offer and signs elsewhere, depending on the size of the contract. This also gives the Padres more time to exclusively negotiate with Morejon and a long-term contract. View full rumor

Week 4 of the Arizona Fall League is in the books, with San Diego Padres prospects playing for the Peoria Javelinas in the showcase event. Each week, we will take a look back at how the Friars' prospects fared. A six-game schedule for all teams got pared down to five games due to rain in the Phoenix area Friday. There is only one (mostly) full week of games as the Home Run Derby will be held Saturday and the Fall Stars Game on Sunday. After two games the week after, the single-elimination playoffs will happen over three days, culminating with the Nov. 14 championship game. For last week's recap, check here. For Week 1, check here and for Week 2, check here. Ty Harvey, C Padres Mission's No. 5 prospect had a nice week at the plate, going 5-for-15 with a double, three RBIs and five runs scored. His legs also continued to be a story of his AFL performance, as Harvey swiped three bases in one game and two in another to give him a league-best 14, one ahead of Javelinas teammate Tai Peete (St. Louis Cardinals). He had two big games, both against Glendale. On Thursday, Harvey went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, three runs scored and three steals in a 13-10 win while he was the designated hitter. Then Saturday in a 9-8 loss while catching, he went 2-for-4 with an RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases. Justin DeCriscio, SS The infielder only got one opportunity to play last week, but certainly made the most of that chance. Playing shortstop on Tuesday vs. Surprise, DeCriscio homered twice and doubled, driving in six. The second of those homers was a grand slam. He has three homers in 12 AFL games after hitting 13 across three levels in 121 games this season. DeCriscio also has 14 RBIs, third on the team. Igor Gil, LHP The left-hander pitched twice last week, each one-inning outings. He allowed one hit in both, although one of those was a solo homer. Gil struck out two in each appearance. The homer he gave up was a leadoff shot in the ninth and led to a five-run rally by Glendale in a 9-8 Javelinas loss. Kannon Kemp, RHP The right-hander made his fifth start of the AFL on Saturday, going only two innings while throwing 37 pitches (22 strikes). Four of the six outs he recorded were on the ground, but he also walked two and gave up two hits, leading to two runs, only one of which was earned. Francis Pena, RHP The right-hander remains just one of two AFL pitchers not to allow a run this year. Pena made two appearances last week, one a little shakier than the other. On Tuesday, he went two innings, coming in with two runners on. He struck out the first two batters he faced and then, after a balk, got a fly-out to end the inning. His second inning began by retiring the first two hitters, then back-to-back singles put runners on the corners. That brought up highly touted prospect Zyhir Hope, the big piece for the Detroit Tigers in the Tarik Skubal deal, who Pena struck out looking. He bounced back Thursday with a hitless inning. Jordan Valenzuela, RHP The right-hander's only appearance was a rough one. Valenzuela was touched up for four runs while getting just one out Thursday against Glendale. He walked four and allowed a single to the first five hitters he faced in the sixth inning before being replaced. View full article

As San Diego Padres fans know well, the Rule 5 draft is an easy way to find cheap talent. Remember 2016 when the Friars took three players, all of whom made it to the Opening Day roster? Usually there is a reason a player is left unprotected, most of them having to do with a flaw in their game. However, sometimes that reason is a team just doesn’t have enough spots on the 40-man roster available to protect everyone who needs protecting, though that's usually reserved for the franchises with the better farm systems. Space on the 40-man isn’t a problem for the Padres. The Friars came out of the weekend with only 30 spots accounted for on their 40-man roster. Players who are eligible for the Rule 5 draft are those signed at age 18 or younger five years ago (or earlier) as well as those signed at 19 or older at least four years prior. Of course, we have to acknowledge that this whole process is in flux this year. One part of the collective bargaining agreement being negotiated that is of interest has been the Rule 5 draft. Typically held in December as the final event of the Winter Meetings—technically slated to be held in San Diego but a virtual certainty not to happen—there has been talk that it would be moved up to late November. The MLB Players Association wants it to happen Nov. 24. The owners have made a proposal that instead of having to stay on a major-league roster all season, Rule 5 selections could be sent to the minors, but that is also contingent on a salary cap, which is a nonstarter for the union, so that part of the process might be pushed to next offseason. There is a minor-league portion of the Rule 5 draft that is expected to happen regardless. The minors have a separate collective bargaining agreement that expires next offseason. With all that said, we'll operate under the assumption that the Rule 5 draft will happen in some capacity. As such, let’s take a look at the Padres prospects who might be worthy of protecting. Tucker Musgrove, RHP A seventh-round draft choice in 2023, the right-handed reliever should be a lock to be protected. He has the potential to be a lockdown reliever with triple-digit heat. Musgrove, who will turn 25 before spring training, split 2026 between High-A Fort Wayne and Double-A San Antonio after not making his pro debut until 2025 due to Tommy John surgery. All Padres Mission’s No. 12 prospect did was put up a 42.8% strikeout rate (Mason Miller’s was 47.4%, for reference) to go along with a 3.41 ERA. After just 15 games in 2025 (he was handled gently in his comeback from right elbow surgery and a few setbacks in that process), Musgrove threw just 34⅓ innings over 34 games this year. That included four appearances of between four and six outs, all in a seven-game stretch. He also had a 15.7% walk rate, seven percentage points above the MLB average. Musgrove has a four-seamer that can reach triple digits and a sinker not far behind, then a cutter. He also features a sweeper and a slider that can be nice complements to the hard stuff. He would be an ideal candidate for a pitching-starved team to grab as a last player in the bullpen. The Padres don’t need him on the MLB roster at the moment, but he could be in consideration for a call-up at some point in 2027 if injuries hit the relief corps. It would be a mistake to let an arm like this slip away. Luis Gutierrez, LHP The 23-year-old left-handed starter, signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2019, hit the injured list after just three games due to a bum left shoulder. He returned to make 10 more starts—five between Triple-A El Paso and Double-A San Antonio—but only logged 36 innings for the season. That lack of innings this year makes him a risky proposition for any MLB team to carry him as a starter, but he could be a long man out of the bullpen, where his innings could be better managed. Gutierrez had an 11.6% walk rate and 28.4% strikeout rate in 2026. He handled full workload in 2025, pitching 125 innings over 25 games (21 starts) while posting an 8.3% walk rate and 21.8% strikeout, to go along with a 3.31 ERA. Of those starts, 13 came at High-A Fort Wayne. Gutierrez is more of a long shot to get picked in the Rule 5 draft. Jagger Haynes, LHP The 24-year-old was the Padres’ fifth-round selection in the 2020 draft and doesn’t have the health questions of Musgrove and Gutierrez. Haynes made 27 starts this year, 18 at Double-A San Antonio and another nine at Triple-A El Paso, plus a relief appearance at the latter. He had a 4.80 ERA over 135 innings with a 10.5% walk rate and 19.9% strikeout rate. He also allowed a .244 opponent batting average, the highest of his four professional seasons. Padres Mission’s No. 13 prospect had Tommy John surgery that caused him to not make his pro debut until 2023. He doesn’t have a real attractive trait where a team might take a shot with him purely based on projectability. His four-seamer sits in the low-90s, with a really nice slider and a good changeup. Perhaps a team that knows how to fix pitchers sees something to work with, but it doesn’t feel like Haynes will get one of those valuable 40-man spots. Other Key Eligible Players OF Braedon Karpathios OF Jake Cunningham 1B Romeo Sanabria IF Rosman Verdugo C Lamar King Jr. RHP Ian Koenig RHP Carson Montgomery RHP Francis Pena RHP Eric Yost LHP Harry Gustin RHP Ethan Routzahn This group is truly filled with more long shots considering the experience of some here. King, Padres Mission’s No. 10 prospect, is the biggest name here, but he has only played as high as High-A Fort Wayne this year due to the depth the Padres have at catcher in the system. He is playing in the Arizona Fall League last year after slashing .234/.327/.325 with four homers and 39 RBIs in 93 games during the regular season. Koenig, Pena and Routzahn are other possibilities from this group. Koenig had a five-start audition at Triple-A El Paso and showed well (2.33 ERA with five walks and 22 strikeouts in 27 innings). Pena, a reliever, is being showcased in the Arizona Fall League after a terrific season at Double-A San Antonio. Routzahn, a reliever at Triple-A El Paso, had a nice first half before a few blowup outings sent his ERA skyrocketing. Anyone who isn’t at the Triple-A level is eligible for the minor-league Rule 5 draft as long as they fit the aforementioned criteria. View full article

With the latest moves, everyone who had the chance to come back to the San Diego Padres' bullpen in 2027 is returning. Yuki Matsui opted in to his $6.5 million contract for 2027, while fellow left-handed reliever Kyle Hart had his option picked up on his $2.5 million deal. The only members of the bullpen who were on the postseason roster not returning are the two free agents, left-hander Adrian Morejon and right-hander Jason Adam, both key setup relievers. Designated hitter Miguel Andujar declined his portion of a mutual option, while the Padres declined their side of mutual options for right-handers Griffin Canning and Lucas Giolito, the team said Sunday. Andujar had a $2.5 million buyout on an $8 million contract for next year, while Canning had a $1.5 million buyout on a $5 million pact and Giolito a $1.5 million buyout on his $8 million deal for 2027. The Padres on Saturday declined the team option on right-handed starter Nick Pivetta, the biggest option decision on the roster. According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, there are health concerns about Pivetta's right elbow. There is a chance Pivetta returns on a contract that protects the Padres and includes performance bonuses. Does Matsui's decision indicate anything regarding Morejon's future? The unlikely duo are terrific friends. Matsui blossomed into a leverage reliever as this season went on, finishing the best of his three MLB seasons with a 1.83 ERA (4.18 FIP) and 1.141 WHIP with a 26.2% strikeout rate, but a career-worst 13.8% walk rate. Matsui made up for those walks with a sensational .171 opponent batting average. He worked 64 innings, two-thirds of an inning more than he did last year, while pitching in 54 games, seven less than 2025 and 10 fewer than 2024. Matsui has an $8 million player option for 2028. Hart, who had a $200,000 buyout on his club option for 2027, had his most extensive action in his three MLB seasons. After four appearances with the Boston Red Sox in 2020 and 20 with the Padres in 2025 after spending 2024 in South Korea, Hart pitched in 46 games this year and had a 3.63 FIP (4.92 ERA), tossing 64 innings. Hart often served as the first reliever if a starter had to exit early, also serving as an opener four times. He had a 9.7% walk rate and 22% strikeout rate, also allowing a .218 opponent batting average. View full rumor

While the San Diego Padres had one of MLB’s best offenses over the last two months of the regular season, there was a little bit of magic fairy dust built into that. All you have to do is look at the left field position. Beginning Aug. 1 and up through the end of the regular season, Dustin Harris, with his third franchise of the 2026 season, posted a slash line of .299/.342/.383 with one homer, 15 RBIs and six steals. Meanwhile, Samad Taylor, playing for his third franchise in the last three seasons, had a .284/.341/.392 slash line with one homer, seven RBIs and eight stolen bases. Other than the power output, that is pretty solid production. But can the Padres depend on that for 2027? It's very unlikely. The 27-year-old Harris had a combined 21 MLB games with the Texas Rangers in 2024-25, putting up a .217/.280/.435 slash line, two homers, five RBIs and a stolen base. The 28-year-old Taylor, meanwhile, had 38 games with the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners that yielded a .532 OPS. It's hard to argue that the Padres didn't benefit from peak performances from the pair. There is a solution to getting sustained power and speed from left field, though. His name is Randy Arozarena. The Cuban turns 32 at the end of February and is one of five players in MLB history with six consecutive 20-homer, 20-steal seasons, the last two being 25-25 years. The others? Willie Mays, Bobby Bonds, Barry Bonds and Bobby Abreu. Arozarena’s 2026 slash line with the Seattle Mariners was .281/.381/.484, his best since his second MLB season and first with the Tampa Bay Rays, where he became a national star in the postseason. Picture Arozarena hitting behind Fernando Tatis Jr. and ahead of Manny Machado, Ty France and Jackson Merrill. Or even a scenario with Merrill second and Arozarena behind Machado with France fifth. However it would go, that is a pretty dynamic top half of the lineup. There are a lot of reasons to like Arozarena at this moment. He most definitely is looking for a winning situation, which the Padres certainly are coming off their franchise-record third straight postseason appearance, and his fiery personality would fit right in with the Friars. One thing that makes his 2026 numbers more impressive is that the Mariners’ stadium, T-Mobile Park, is famously suppressive for hitters, which does bear out in Arozarena’s splits. At home, the right-handed hitter slashed .250/.366/.422 with nine homers, 31 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. On the road, those numbers ballooned to .309/.394/.539, hitting 17 homers, driving in 48 and stealing 12 bases. All of that contributed to him leading the AL with 113 runs scored, while he hit 10 of his 26 homers from Aug. 16 onward. Arozarena also logged top-10 finishes in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits, doubles and extra-base hits. There was some bad stuff mixed into those good numbers. Arozarena’s hard-hit percentage dropped from the 90th percentile in 2025 (50.6%) to the 67th in 2026 (43.5%). Similarly, his barrel rate fell from the 71st percentile (11.5%) to the 52nd (8.15%), while his bat speed went from the 53rd percentile (72.3%) to the 31st (70.9%). But he did make improvements in his squared-up percentage (47th, 25.5% last year to 60th, 26.1%) and launch-angle sweet spot (23rd, 32.6% to 68th, 36%). Arozarena is likely to get a qualifying offer from the Mariners, which would guarantee him $23.15 million for 2027. He will decline and be one of the top bats available this offseason, the first time he'll be available on the open market. The qualifying offer has tended to be a scarlet letter for some teams when pursuing free agents, but not really for Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller. He signed right-handed starter Nick Pivetta two offseasons ago, costing the Padres a second-round draft pick in 2025. But with the Padres being a competitive-balance tax payor this offseason, that penalty stiffens to a team’s second- and fifth-highest picks and $1 million in international bonuses. Preller loves to play in the international market, so that could factor into his decision to pursue Arozarena. There won’t be any sort of discount considering how popular Arozarena will be in this thin market and with his agent being Scott Boras, who gets every penny and then some he can from ownership (see the Xander Bogaerts contract). The Athletic projects Arozarena to get a five-year, $124 million deal, mentioning the Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta as primary suitors. That price would seem palatable for the type of production Arozarena provides, perhaps front-loading the deal to minimize the impact of the last two years when he is 35 and 36. Regardless of the structure, dreaming on Arozarena’s bat alongside Tatis, Machado and Merrill along with France is tantalizing. Add in bounce backs from Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth and sprinkle in the potential of 20-year-old catcher Ethan Salas, and that would make for an awfully impressive lineup. View full article

The San Diego Padres will be entering the offseason with just one pitcher who made more than six starts in 2026. That became the scenario after the Padres declined their $14 million club option on right-hander Nick Pivetta's contract Saturday, according to a report by Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The Padres faced a 2 p.m. PT Monday deadline to pick up the option. Also, left-handed reliever Wandy Peralta, as expected, opted into his $4.45 million for 2027, the final year of his contract, per MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. It is still a possibility that the Padres and Pivetta are able to come to a new deal, but the pitcher will officially hit the open market following Monday's deadline. Pivetta was the Padres' Opening Day starter this year, his first time getting that assignment in his career, but then was removed from his fourth start with a right elbow injury. He didn't return until mid-September, which shifted the $14 million for 2027 from a player option to a club option due to a clause in his contract about spending 130 consecutive days on the injured list. The 33-year-old made four starts to finish the regular season, then two more in the postseason. There was also an $18 million player option for 2028 that was in play. The Padres may have had concerns about Pivetta's right elbow. Now, right-hander Randy Vasquez is the top returning member of the rotation with 23 starts this year, with left-hander JP Sears, a nontender candidate, second with six. That leaves president of baseball operations A.J. Preller with plenty of work to do regarding the rotation. Another starter, right-hander Joe Musgrove, made a single postseason appearance after having Tommy John surgery two years ago and experiencing setbacks during the season that pushed back his return to action. View full rumor

Within five days of the end of the World Series, all decisions regarding contract options—player, club or mutual—must be decided. Players who are set to become free agents have up until the end of that five-day period to exclusively negotiate with the team that they were with at the end of the regular season. After that, the free-for-all begins. If you are looking for a clue as to what might happen in the few weeks before the owners lock out the players beginning Dec. 1 at 11:59 p.m. ET, there was more activity in November 2022, before the last lockout, than in the typical first month of the MLB offseason. A handful of notable free agents signed. But with owners taking a more hardline stance as they feebly pursue a salary cap that players are staunchly against, will that be the case this time around? San Diego Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller said that, with the general managers meeting set for about a week after the World Series ends, there will be more known about how quickly things will transpire. You might see a few more trades and mid-level free agents signing. With that said, let’s take a spin around the roster to see what holes the Padres have to plug and where they might have some depth to deal from. (Salary arbitration projections via MLB Trade Rumors.) Catcher Who’s here: Ethan Salas, Luis Campusano, Freddy Fermin, Rodolfo Duran Position status: Strong. Salas, still technically the Padres’ top prospect until he hits 45 days of service time or 130 at-bats in the majors, is a lock to be the Opening Day starting catcher regardless of Preller’s statement in the season-ending press conference about nothing guaranteed to the 20-year-old. That leaves Campusano and Fermin vying for one roster spot. [No, the Padres aren’t going to carry three catchers into the 2027 regular season under the current roster rules heading into the lockout]. Duran is minor-league depth and is likely to be at Triple-A in 2027. Both backups are up for salary arbitration at nominal salaries ($1.7 million for Campusano, $2.6 million for Fermin). Preller and manager Craig Stammen will have to come to a consensus on who to keep. Either one works, but with Campusano being a 2017 second-round draft pick and making huge strides defensively this year, he is likely to be the choice to stick with Fermin traded away. Depending on talks with other teams, Fermin could back up Salas if Campusano brings a more attractive return via trade. Those are talks Preller is likely already having with other front offices. First Base Who’s here: Gavin Sheets Position status: So-so. Sheets is set to return, but at a projected $6.5 million in salary arbitration. The big decision here is whether Ty France re-signs, which would make this a position of strength based off his tremendous 2026, when he slashed .295/.363/.502 and hit a career-high 21 homers to go along with 72 RBIs and Gold Glove-nominated defense. It seems like a foregone conclusion that France returns, but that will also likely put Sheets on the trade block after he put up a .212/.313/.397 slash line with still-solid totals of 17 homers and 48 RBIs. Coming back at a reduced price would be a strong possibility, although his time in left field should be limited if not negated. Second Base Who’s here: Jake Cronenworth, Sung-Mun Song Position status: Solid. Cronenworth is making just under $12.9 million annually through 2030 and is coming off a subpar season that was impacted by his early season concussion that took time to come to the forefront. Still, Cronenworth had a .225/.308/.321 line with seven homers and 41 RBIs, career-low numbers across the board for a full season. The Padres should be able to bank on a bounce back in 2027 from the two-time All-Star. Song had a trying season, his first in the U.S. An oblique injury saw him start the season on the injured list, then sent to Triple-A, which at the time might have been the best move for him just to get his feet wet after coming over from South Korea and missing action in spring training. Even so, Song never found his footing offensively, as he had a slash line of .191/.291/.244 in 78 games (154 plate appearances) for a 52 OPS+ (100 is MLB average). He did steal 13 bases. An improvement is definitely expected next season, but he will be a backup at second, third and shortstop until he proves otherwise. If the Padres want to make an improvement at this position, Cronenworth will be on the move. The question is: Who will take him? Third Base Who’s here: Manny Machado, Gage Workman Position status: Excellent. Machado’s power numbers were just fine (30 homers) but his slash line was not (.217/.303/.407). With his track record, you have to consider that a blip on the radar and expect that he will probably come back with a vengeance in 2027. Song can fill in when Machado sits out next year. Workman, acquired along with Casey Mize from the Detroit Tigers, is organizational depth. He hasn’t proven he can hit in the big leagues yet. Shortstop Who’s here: Xander Bogaerts, Mason McCoy Position status: Solid. Bogaerts had his worst offensive season since his first full season in MLB (2014) with a .231/.332/.344 slash line to go along with 13 homers, 57 RBIs and 22 stolen bases (90 OPS+) as the Padres’ highest-paid player in 2026 at $25.45 million (by about $400,000 over Machado). While his first season in San Diego was good (.285/.350/.440, 19 HRs, 58 RBIs), his last three have not been, which has Padres fans wanting to ditch his contract, which runs through 2033 all at that same $25.45 million per year. He did play in 153 games, which included a series off for paternity leave, so he is reliable. His fielding is rather average. McCoy only got a call-up from Triple-A El Paso when France went on paternity leave, but he didn’t play. Left Field Who’s here: Dustin Harris, Samad Taylor, Jase Bowen Position status: Tenuous. Can the Padres bank on the same type of production from Harris and Taylor that they received in 2026? Probably not. This is the biggest need on the position-player side. How that is filled will depend on Preller’s work on the trade and free-agent markets. Center Field Who’s here: Jackson Merrill, Jase Bowen Position status: Excellent. After a slow first half, Merrill was quietly one of the best players in MLB in the second half. His post-All-Star break slash line of .304/.339/.569 with 16 homers and 49 RBIs (fourth-most in MLB) was electric. Remember, Merrill was 23 all season, his third in MLB, but it felt like he was finally finding his potential and consistency as the season wore on. He finished with a .254/.303/.440 slash line with 26 homers, two above his previous career high, and 87 RBIs, three shy of his best. Bowen, while excellent defensively, was unable to hit and is likely headed back to Triple-A if he isn’t traded or designated for assignment. Right Field Who’s here: Fernando Tatis Jr. Position status: Excellent. Everyone will talk about the fact that Tatis didn’t hit a homer until the end of May, but he still matched his totals from two of the previous three seasons (25) while putting up an excellent slash line of .289/.358/.470. He is elite defensively and showed off his versatility by being good at second base, a position he played in 53 games. There could be a temptation to put him back on the infield, where Tatis hasn’t played regularly since 2021 due to a shoulder injury. That means trading Cronenworth, which should be on the table anyway. But in that scenario, the Padres will need to make sure to bring in someone who can play good defense and be a notable contributor offensively, whether at second or right. Designated Hitter Who’s here: Will Wagner Position status: Panic button. Well, maybe not panic, but more so a position where anyone can fit. If France and Sheets return, Sheets would be an option here. Wagner had a nice stretch in his brief call-up, but he isn’t someone to rely on and is at best a fringe roster player. This will be a position that doesn’t necessarily need to be filled, but could be a spot where a defensively challenged bat would fit if that option presents itself. Austin Hays could be a guy the Padres bring back for an outfield backup-DH role. Starting Rotation Who’s here: Joe Musgrove, Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito Position status: Panic button. This is a legit panic button with the red lights flashing. With no top prospects ready to make the move up for at least a couple more years, Preller has to work his magic via trades and free agency. His biggest decision will be whether to bring back Nick Pivetta on a $14 million club option. At this moment, it has to be a no-brainer to do it unless there is cause for concern regarding Pivetta’s elbow. Musgrove is a question mark entering the offseason with questions about his arm’s ability to bounce back from starts. It was good enough for a relief role in the postseason, but doing it every five days for 32 starts is in doubt. Musgrove hadn’t pitched in two years following Tommy John surgery, so his workload might be managed early on regardless. That leaves at least two open spots. Will Michael King come back? If he does, the Padres will have to pay him like the ace he showed he was in the second half of the season. If not, you need to find a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. Brito is at best a No. 5 starter and probably best served as depth at Triple-A. Walker Buehler could come back to fill out the back of the rotation. Perhaps Griffin Canning, too, as a swingman able to make spot starts. He looked capable in his bullpen role, but may get the opportunity to start elsewhere. Bullpen Who’s here: Mason Miller, Bradgley Rodriguez, Yuki Matsui, David Morgan, Kyle Hart, Jeremiah Estrada, Garrett Hawkins, Bryan Hoeing, JP Sears, Hunter Stratton Position status: Pretty good. If the Padres took just this group into 2027, it would be acceptable because of Miller and Rodriguez. That would put Matsui into a leverage role, which seems fine based on how he finished the season, while counting on Morgan and Estrada for key innings, with Hoeing on the comeback from flexor tendon surgery. Stratton is a borderline candidate for Opening Day. But the Padres need to bolster this group with another back-end option. Adrian Morejon returning is the obvious move, but he will be expensive one way or the other, more so if the Padres don’t lock him up before hitting the open market. Jason Adam is the other key free agent from the 2026 group, but he will probably get a nice payday as well. It could be an either/or situation with Morejon and Adam. If Morejon doesn’t return, a left-hander needs to be added. The Bottom Line The bones are there for another contending team, but Preller has work to do to put some meat on those bones. The rotation is the biggest question mark. After that? Assuming France returns at first, the offense could use another bat, whether that comes in left field or somewhere else (second base?). The Padres’ offense, while hitting its stride late over the last two months, had holes that led to forgettable months in May and June. With how important the bullpen was these last two years, that level needs to be maintained in some fashion. There figure to be at least five holes on the 26-man roster as of now if you consider France and Pivetta as shoo-ins for 2027. View full article

One of the members of the San Diego Padres' coaching staff is getting a promotion—from another NL West team. Longtime Padres bullpen coach Ben Fritz is being hired as the Arizona Diamondbacks' pitching coach, according to a report Friday by Dennis Lin of The Athletic. Fritz replaces Brian Kaplan, whose contract expired after the season and was not retained. Fritz, a right-hander who was a first-round draft choice by the Oakland A's out of Fresno State in 2002, has been the Padres' bullpen coach for the past seven seasons and a coach in the Friars' system since 2015. Lin also reported that Fritz was up for the Colorado Rockies' pitching coach vacancy. Working with pitching coach Ruben Niebla, Fritz's bullpen has posted the seventh-best ERA since 2020 and third-highest fWAR. View full rumor

While we have covered four of the biggest free-agent decisions the San Diego Padres will have to make this offseason, there are plenty more players whose statuses vary at this point in time. For these 13 players, we are going to address them all one one lump sum. Don’t read too much into that; any could return, especially not knowing the financial outlay new owners Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones are willing to put forth in their first offseason. Nine of those players are pitchers, which is always a volatile part of any MLB team’s roster. For this exercise, I will split the players up into true free agents and those with contract-option decisions. Previous free-agent-to-be articles: Adrian Morejon Michael King Ty France Nick Pivetta San Diego Padres' Impending Free Agents Jason Adam: The right-handed reliever is probably not returning, although that could change if left-handed setup man Adrian Morejon doesn’t make a quick decision to stick around. Adam could make around $10 million a season on the open market. Walker Buehler: The right-handed starter would be welcomed back with open arms after what he did for the Padres in 2026. While his role varied this year, he should be penciled in as the No. 5 starter for 2027. Casey Mize: Padres fans won’t believe the contract the right-handed starter will get in free agency this year. It certainly won’t be based on what he did for the Friars after being acquired from the Detroit Tigers. Robbie Ray: Having just recently turned 35, the left-handed starter could return, but certainly not at the $25 million salary he had this year. More likely to find a better payday elsewhere. Luis Rengifo: The left fielder’s torn left ACL complicates his story. He probably won’t be back until midseason 2027, so there could be a two-year deal for him that gives him a smaller salary for next year and something in the $5 million range for 2028 if the Padres want to keep him around. Austin Hays: Apparently one of the favorites of president of baseball operations A.J. Preller, the outfielder is an outside possibility to return, but maybe only on a minor-league deal as the Padres aim to prioritize the playing time for Dustin Harris and/or Samad Taylor. Ramon Laureano: The 32-year-old outfielder might get a decent contract from someone, but that likely won’t be the Padres after he missed most of this season due to right hip surgery. San Diego Padres Players With Contract Options Griffin Canning: The right-hander has a mutual option for $5 million in 2027 with a $1.5 million buyout. Mutual options are almost universally declined. He could return on a smaller deal with the flexibility to be in the bullpen or rotation. He probably wants to start, which might not fit for a Padres rotation needing more certainty. Lucas Giolito: The right-handed starter has a mutual option for $8 million in 2027 with a $1.5 million buyout. After a disastrous year with the Padres due to injury, he might want to simply try elsewhere. But if the Padres do bring him back (depending on his health), it should with visions as him as the No. 5 starter. Kyle Hart: The left-hander has a club option for $2.5 million in 2027 with a $200,000 buyout. He seemed to find his niche with the Padres this season as the early cleanup reliever. There's no reason why the Padres shouldn’t bring Hart back at that price. Yuki Matsui: The left-handed reliever controls his fate with a player option for 2027 at $6.5 million and player option for 2028 at $7 million. Once envisioned as the Padres’ closer of the future, Matsui finally seemed to realize his potential this season and was very reliable down the stretch. He probably wouldn’t make much more on the open market, so sticking with a situation he knows makes sense. Wandy Peralta: The 35-year-old left-handed reliever has a player option for 2027 at $4.45 million in what could be his final year with the Padres. Like the previous two years, odds are he will exercise his right to call San Diego home for another year. Miguel Andujar: The designated hitter/outfielder has a mutual option for $8 million in 2027 with a $2.5 million buyout. The option will be declined, but it wouldn’t be surprising for him to come back on deal similar to what he got from the Padres last offseason ($4 million guaranteed for one year). View full article

On the first day following the World Series, as decisions can start to be officially made on 2027 contract situations, the San Diego Padres find themselves without an ace. As expected, right-handed starter Michael King opted out of the final two years of his three-year, $75 million contract Thursday and is now a free agent. The Padres still have an exclusive negotiating window until Monday to get a new contract done with King, but with the quick announcement of King opting out of the final two years and $58 million, he has probably pitched his last game for the Padres. King, who said he would like to return to the Padres, will be one of the top three starting pitchers and a key free agent overall this offseason. Our rankings at DiamondCentric have him as the No. 7 free agent. King received a qualifying offer last offseason, so is not eligible to receive that again. He re-signed with the Padres after injuries dampened his free-agent value last year, but rebounded with a completely healthy 2026 and developed into the Padres' No. 1 pitcher, especially in the postseason. He made all 32 starts in the regular season and posted a 3.21 ERA over a career-high 185 innings. The Padres' biggest option decision will have to do with their $14 million club option on right-hander Nick Pivetta. That decision has to be made no later than Monday. View full rumor

The 2026 season couldn’t have been any more of a disaster for Nick Pivetta. A right elbow injury disrupted what should have been a big season for the San Diego Padres’ right-handed starter. Instead, he made a total of eight starts and lost control of his immediate future, which likely would have meant a nice payday. That injury sidelined Pivetta for more than 130 consecutive days, which took a $14 million player option for 2027 and converted it to a club option. There were good moments for Pivetta, but missing out on a big contract this offseason puts a damper on 2026 from his perspective. That clause in his contract that flipped the option was due to a flexor tendon injury with the Boston Red Sox in 2024. His situation is one of the more nuanced decisions the Padres have to make in the next couple weeks. Nick Pivetta's 2026 Season At A Glance The 33-year-old was the Padres’ Opening Day starter, the first time he has had that honor in his 10-year career. He earned that through his performance in 2025, when he went 13-5 with a 3.49 FIP (2.87 ERA) in 31 starts, becoming the No. 1 pitcher on a staff that included Dylan Cease and Michael King. But his fourth start of 2026 is where things unraveled from a health perspective. He threw three pitches to begin the fourth inning of an April 12 start vs. the Colorado Rockies and was done until September. That he even came back in September had to feel miraculous after what transpired in his first rehab outing. Pitching in relief in the same game in which fellow right-handed starter Joe Musgrove also began a rehab assignment with the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm, Pivetta walked off the mound after just 13 pitches. He felt something in his elbow. Fortunately, he threw a 30-pitch bullpen later in the day and, after a brief evaluation period, was essentially back on track. But that setback cost him the option decision for 2027. Pivetta returned, probably a little prematurely, to make four regular-season starts where he progressed to the point of becoming the Padres’ No. 2 starter behind King. He finished the season with a 2.21 FIP (2.86 ERA), a mark that looks even better when you consider he gave up six runs over three innings on Opening Day vs. the Detroit Tigers. His 5.7% walk rate was the best of his career even in a small sample size of 34⅔ innings, while his 30% strikeout rate was the third-best. He made two starts in the postseason and was solid in both. The biggest thing, though, is that he showed he was healthy heading into the offseason. Why the Padres Should Re-sign Nick Pivetta Stop me if you have heard this before: The Padres need to rebuild their starting rotation entering this offseason. Last year, the Friars lost Cease to free agency and right-hander Yu Darvish to internal brace surgery on his right elbow that cost him all of 2026. Musgrove’s status wasn’t truly known at this time last year, only that Opening Day was a possibility. As mentioned just above, Pivetta proved he was healthy at the end of the season with those six starts. His velocity was where it should have been. Yes, he could have been sharper with his pitches, but that would have come with more time instead of being rushed slightly to help the Padres make their postseason push. King is a virtual lock to exit stage left this season as he has an opt-out clause. That leaves right-hander Randy Vasquez and Musgrove as starting options entering the offseason. And Musgrove still needs to prove himself, as his arm didn’t recover as expected in his last rehab start, putting him in a relief role for two postseason appearances. Considering Pivetta’s body of work in 2025 and what he did when healthy in 2026, exercising his $14 million club option shouldn’t be a question for the Padres. That decision will need to be made within five days of the World Series ending. Why the Padres Should Not Re-sign Nick Pivetta Of course, only the Padres are in the position to know the true condition of Pivetta’s arm. They have all the medical reports, have talked with him and have already formed their opinion on him medically. That should outweigh anything the late-season results show. If there are questions about Pivetta being able to make 30 or so starts in 2027, the Padres have to give pause to spending $14 million on the right-hander. With a franchise-record fourth straight postseason trip expected in 2027, bringing Pivetta back can’t be a risky proposition. If president of baseball operations A.J. Preller rolls the dice and the right-hander goes down in the first two months of the season, the Padres could end up with a rotation situation like they dealt with in June and July of this year. The Bottom Line There are really three choices the Padres have with Pivetta and his club option. Exercising the option for a healthy Pivetta is the cleanest of those. Declining the option and pouring that $14 million into another starter or two is the smart route if his medicals don't pass the smell test. The third one is to rip up the current contract and renegotiate Pivetta’s deal. As a reminder, he signed a four-year, $55 million contract before the 2025 season. He took a reduced salary of $2.5 million in 2025, then got a more commensurate salary of $20.5 million this year. Considering the production of those two seasons, the salaries feel like they should have been reversed. After the $14 million option for 2027, there had been an $18 million player option for 2028, but that became void when he missed those 130 consecutive days. If Pivetta wants to stick around beyond 2027, the Padres could give him a two- or three-year deal laden with incentives based on starts or innings that could get him close to the payday he envisioned having this offseason. Thus, regardless of how it's accomplished, expect to see Pivetta in a Padres uniform in 2027. View full article

Of everything that sits in front of the San Diego Padres, there is one thing that seems like it could be announced any day: Ty France returning to the Padres for at least the 2027 season. The first baseman went from a borderline possibility to make the Padres’ Opening Day roster to the cleanup hitter in one of the league's best offenses in the last two months of the season. The SoCal native, born in Downey and going to high school in West Covina, and former San Diego State star fit right back in with the team that took him in the 34th round of the 2015 draft and is likely to again in 2027. Ty France's 2026 Season At A Glance Coming off a 2025 season in which he signed with the Minnesota Twins in mid-February, then was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline and didn’t see much action in the team’s run to the World Series, France didn’t find many takers this offseason as he sought a new home. But his original MLB team gave him a chance, signing a minor-league contract Feb. 15 just as spring training was beginning. While he had third base experience in the past, he hadn’t played the hot corner since 2022. So he was a first baseman who, like everyone else, could be a designated hitter. A right-handed hitter, France figured to platoon at first with Gavin Sheets, a left-handed hitter. Then, the Padres signed Nick Castellanos, another right-handed hitter, and said he would be a first baseman, putting France’s spot on the Opening Day roster in jeopardy. But an oblique injury to infielder Sung-Mun Song created a path for France to make the roster. Facing an opt-out deadline, the Padres gave him a chance. It was perhaps their best roster move of the season. It may have been his defense that got him a roster spot, as France was an AL Gold Glove winner at first base in 2025, but his bat would prove just as critical for the Padres in 2026. He started to get more consistent playing time in mid-May, going on to put up the best offensive season of his eight-year career. He had a .295/.363/.502 slash line with a career-high 21 homers to go along with 72 RBIs, his third-most ever. Up for another Gold Glove this year, that all gave him a bWAR of 4.5, his personal high-water mark, and an OPS+ of 139, also his best in any season. Why the Padres Should Re-sign Ty France France just fits with the Padres. He is a complementary player who steps up and can carry a team through stretches. After the All-Star break, France’s slash line was an incredible .321/.395/.513 with 10 homers and 39 RBIs in 63 games. He also had 25 of his 37 walks in that span. His defense alone would be worth re-signing, but if the 32-year-old can produce offensively on a similar basis, whatever he gets dollar-wise will be a bargain. Spotrac projects France’s 2027 value at $16.4 million, though that is probably higher than he'll get on the open market given his age and middling track record prior to 2026. Why the Padres Should Not Re-sign Ty France The only reason not to sign France is if he demands too much money. He won’t—he wants to stay. If there is one concern, it would be France’s ability to repeat what he did offensively. Even if he can’t get to his slash line of this year, his career averages over 162 games are a .267/.338/.414 slash line and 17 homers and 73 RBIs. So it really is just a matter of playing time. The Bottom Line The Spotrac project for France just feels really high, no offense to France. I mentioned on the Padres Mission podcast that France would probably get something in the $7 million range. That was without any research and I still feel that is probably about where he comes in as a bit of a hometown discount. Ryan O’Hearn, a Padres trade-deadline acquisition in 2025, got a two-year, $29 million contract last offseason from the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team that probably had to overpay to attract talent. The Padres don’t have that problem. His highest salary of his career was the $6.775 million he got in 2024 through arbitration with the Seattle Mariners. France will probably max out at $10 million per season, perhaps with some deferrals. My prediction: France returns on a two- or three-year deal, with a third year possibly being a club option. View full article