Major League Baseball announced the National League Silver Slugger winners, and one San Diego Padres player will need to make room in his trophy case.
Third baseman Manny Machado won his third career Silver Slugger and second in as many seasons. His first Silver Slugger came in 2020, his second season with the Friars.
Machado finished the year with 27 home runs, 91 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. His final slash line was .275/.335/.460, resulting in an OPS of .795, a wOBA of .341, and a wRC+ of 123. He was especially effective with runners in scoring position, posting an .832 OPS and 16 extra-base hits. Additionally, his .663 OPS when in a two-strike count was 28th best in all of baseball.
The Silver Slugger Award is an award that recognizes the best offensive player at each position in both leagues. It is voted on by managers and coaches around baseball.
Will he earn the three-peat in 2026? Let us know what you think in the comments!
The San Diego Padres continue to paint a picture of what the next four months may look like early on in the 2025-2026 off-season. They've lost five players to option decisions and one to injury (Yu Darvish) while getting assurance that Wandy Peralta and Ramon Laureano will return in 2026.
Michael King, who declined his option, may not totally be out of the picture yet. Jeff Passan of ESPN is reporting that the Padres have tendered qualifying offers to King and Dylan Cease. The value of the qualifying offer in 2026 is $22.025 million.
King, whose option was worth $15 million in 2026, had a bit of a lost season in 2025 due to injury. However, teams have his 2024 season fresh in their mind, where he threw 173 1/3 innings in his first full year as a starter. In that season, he posted an impressive 3.33 FIP and a 19.0% K-BB rate. That's why MLBTR predicts he'll earn a four-year, $80 million contract in free agency this year. It will be up to King if he wants the extra couple of million over long-term security he'll receive by becoming a free agent.
Cease, who is a free agent, has been a modern-day iron man, making 32 starts in five consecutive seasons. His productivity has alternated each season he's been with the club, receiving Cy Young votes in 2022 and 2024 while sporting ERAs north of 4.00 in 2023 and 2025. About to enter his age-30 season, MLBTR predicts Cease will get a seven-year, $189 million contract via free agency. Given the security and an extra $5 million in 2026, it's hard to imagine Cease will accept the qualifying offer.
As a reminder, a team receives compensatory draft picks if its free agent rejects the qualifying offer and signs with a new club. Conversely, the team making the signing must forfeit draft picks, with the exact picks exchanged depending on the financial status of both organizations (e.g., whether they pay the Competitive Balance Tax or receive revenue sharing).
Do you think either player will accept the qualifying offer? Let us know what you think in the comments!
San Diego’s decision to exercise Ramón Laureano’s 2026 club option keeps a 2025 midseason addition rostered after one of the most productive years of his career. The option covers the 2026 season at $6.5 million. The 31-year-old Laureano split 2025 between Baltimore and San Diego, appearing in 132 games and accumulating 488 plate appearances. He finished the year with a .281/.342/.512 triple slash, along with 24 home runs and seven stolen bases. His overall offensive line translated to a .364 wOBA and 138 wRC+.
With the Padres, Laureano appeared in 50 games after his July 31 trade from the Orioles.In 198 plate appearances for San Diego, he hit .269/.323/.489 with nine home runs and three stolen bases. In San Diego, he posted a .347 wOBA and 127 wRC+, with a 6.6 percent walk rate and 23.7 percent strikeout rate.
Defensively, Laureano continued to work primarily in the outfield corners. Statcast’s Outs Above Average metric graded him at -5 OAA for his time in San Diego.Over his combined time with Baltimore and San Diego, one defensive-value framework credited him with -8.7 defensive runs, while his overall WAR was 3.0.
Laureano’s season also included multiple injured-list stints. Baltimore placed him on the 10-day injured list on May 24 with a left ankle sprain and later activated him on June 6.After the trade, San Diego placed him on the 10-day injured list on September 27 with a right index finger fracture, before activating him again on October 3.
As the San Diego Padres have already announced a flurry of moves - most of which create voids on the 2026 roster - they now have a position to fill on their major league staff.
Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that the Houston Astros have poached Padres hitting coach Victor Rodriguez for the same position.
The announcement comes at a time when the Friars don't have a manager and don't see themselves particularly close to hiring one. Moreover, whoever is hired as the new manager could bring in their own staff, costing Rodriguez a job. It's that uncertainty that justifies the lateral move. He had one year remaining on his deal.
In two years with the big league club, the Padres' offense posted two of the best team batting averages in the organization's history. However, their power production didn't follow suit. Notably, in 2025, the Padres finished with the third-fewest home runs in baseball after finishing with the 10th-most (ironically tied with the Astros) in 2024. It stands to reason that Rodriguez's hitting philosophy prioritizes putting the ball in play over power.
How do you think this will impact the 2026 Padres? Let us know in the comments!
The San Diego Padres' 2025-2026 season has gotten off to a busy start as the offseason budget and 2026 roster already begin to take shape.
A day after Robert Suarezopted out, the team opened up more money by declining three more player options. Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that the Friars have declined the options of Elias Diaz, Tyler Wade, and Kyle Hart.
Diaz, who received a $2 million buyout instead of a $7 million salary, played in 106 games last season. He was a black hole of sorts at the plate, producing a .607 OPS with nine home runs across 283 plate appearances. In all, he posted a .269 wOBA and a 74 wRC+. With Freddy Fermin and Luis Campusano currently on the roster, this move didn't come as a surprise.
Dealing with numerous injuries, Wade was a glove-first utility player who had an OPS of .561 in 121 plate appearances. He earned a $50K buyout, whereas his 2026 option was for $1 million.
Hart, who was signed following a successful season in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), received $500K via buyout instead of a $1 million 2026 salary. In 20 appearances (six starts) he posted a 5.18 FIP, which is actually better than his ERA, over 43 innings pitched.
Do you think the Padres will bring back any of these players on a cheaper deal? Let us know in the comments!
Now, those conversations can be put to rest. The Japanese veteran reportedly underwent successful Ulnar Collateral Ligament repair surgery with an internal brace on his right elbow, which will force him to miss the entirety of next year.
While one step short of full-blown Tommy John surgery, this is still a serious elbow repair for a pitcher with more than 1,700 innings on his arm in just the regular season, let alone the playoffs and NPB. Darvish, 39, had the worst season of his career in 2025, authoring a 5.38 ERA in 72.0 innings.
He has three years and $46 million remaining on his current deal. Returning from this injury to be an effective starter at age 40 and 41 would be one of the greatest miracles in Padres history.
Shortly after news broke that closer Robert Suarez declined his 2026 player option, the San Diego Padres learned that a different key contributor will be back in the bullpen in 2026.
Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that reliever Wandy Peralta has a 2026 player option. He will be paid $4.45 million in 2026 and will have the same decision to make in 2026.
Peralta appeared in 71 games for the Friars, recording 71 2/3 innings pitched. Despite a solid 3.63 FIP, a low K-BB% of 10.5% and a low- to medium-leverage role, he provided a -0.22 WPA in 2025. Regardless of the metrics, Peralta was an important arm capable of eating innings. While FanGraphs values his production about half a million dollars below his salary, the open market can drive up player salaries, resulting in teams overpaying. While he isn't an exciting arm, it's hard to argue his value when he's making less than $5 million.
How do you think today's option decisions impact the Padres' offseason plans? Let us know in the comments!
Robert Suarez, the San Diego Padres' star closer, opted out of his five-year contract signed in 2023. He had $16 million left on the deal. Now 34, Suárez is among the most attractive free agents. He had a career-high 40 saves this season with a 2.97 ERA in 69 2/3 innings. He led the National League in saves, trailing only Carlos Estévez (42) of the Kansas City Royals for the MLB lead.
According to Spotrac, Suárez's market value spans four years, totaling $67 million, with an annual salary of $16.8 million. He likely wants another large payday before age 40. He is the top closer available, with Raisel Iglesias, Ryan Helsley, and Devin Williams as the main alternatives. Edwin Díaz could also opt out, and Andrés Muñoz has a club option. Both are younger and will draw attention.
The coaching carousel is often associated with NCAA football coaches and coordinators, though Major League Baseball seems to have a carousel of its own. While it's common for coaches to move to improve their roles, it seems the Padres may be losing a coach making a lateral move.
Tim Britton of The Athletic is reporting that the New York Mets have interviewed San Diego Padres third-base, infield, and base-running coach Tim Leiper for a coaching role. While the role he interviewed for has not been confirmed, Andy Martino of SNY reported that the Mets are close to hiring a third base coach—it's not hard to connect the dots and think Leiper may be the unnamed coach.
Leiper, who got his start in the Mets organization in 1996, joined the Padres organization ahead of the 2024 season. Previously, Leiper had been coaching in various organizations at multiple Minor League levels before becoming the first base coach for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2014 to 2018.
Detailed in a 2016 article by Canadian Baseball Network's J.P. Antonacci, Leiper's coaching philosophy centers on preparation and player relationships. In the article, he's quoted as saying, " You’re trying to find a way to put a puzzle together and win a game..." His style is highly analytical, involving the study of opposing pitchers' movements to find tiny advantages for baserunners. He believes successful coaching involves clear, timely information delivery to "take as much off the player's plate as possible," asserting that the ability to connect with and communicate with a player is more crucial than pure technical knowledge.
If he's hired by the Mets, how do you think his departure impacts the Padres moving forward? Let us know in the comments!
The first day of the offseason isn't even over, and the San Diego Padres are down a piece to their 2026 rotation puzzle.
Though it's not a surprise, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King has declined his side of a mutual option, collecting a $3.75 million buyout in lieu of a $15 million salary in 2026.
Despite a so-so season marred by injury, the move was widely expected, as the 2026 Starting Pitcher free-agent class is fairly weak. It's all but guaranteed that King will sign for more than the $11.25 million difference between his buyout and 2026 salary.
Though 2025 was a bit of a lost season, teams have his 2024 season fresh in their mind, where he threw 173 1/3 innings in his first full year as a starter. In that season, he sported an impressive 3.33 FIP coupled with a 19.0% K-BB rate.
Do you think the Padres should re-sign Michael King or look to replace him in 2026? Let us know in the comments!
MLBTR is reporting that this offseason's cutoff for Super Two arbitration eligibility will be around two years and 139-140 days.
Super Two status in Major League Baseball is a special designation that allows a select group of players to become eligible for salary arbitration one year earlier than the typical eligibility requirement. To qualify, a player must rank in the top 22% (rounded to the nearest whole number) of total Major League service time among all players who have between two and three years of service.
In short, Mason Miller will be eligible for arbitration this offseason instead of being on a rookie minimum salary.
Miller, acquired from the Athletics midseason, finished the season with a 2.63 ERA (2.23 FIP), 32.5% K-BB rate, and 32 holds + saves. Though he was one of baseball's premier closers before being dealt, he was mostly utilized as a setup man to Robert Suarez.
How do you think this impacts the Padres' offseason plans?
It's hard to predict how this offseason will unfold, as there is an increasing chance of (yet another) MLB lockout following the 2026 season. Will teams spend big this offseason, hoping to create surety in the face of an unknown collective bargaining agreement? Or will they be hesitant in hopes of a favorable outcome for ownership groups?
No matter how it shakes out, teams will need to compete in the 2026 season, and they'll need to sign free agents this winter. DiamondCentric has compiled a complete list of free agents, sortable and searchable by pretty much any metric you need. Looking for a first baseman? A catcher? We have you covered. We offer two pages for your reference: one for position players, the other for pitchers.
The San Diego Padres haven't had a Gold Glove winner since 2023, when both Ha-seong Kim (UT) and Fernando Tatís Jr. (RF) when the award.
That may not change in 2025, though Tatis has at least been named a finalist for the award in right field. He posted eight Outs Above Average, nine Fielding Run Value, and 15 Defensive Runs Saved in another banner campaign in the outfield. Among all qualified National League right fielders this season, those marks rank second, first, and first. The other finalists are Corbin Carroll of the Diamondbacks and Sal Frelick of the Brewers.
The Padres have no other finalists for the award, which is disappointing, especially after the season that Xander Bogaerts produced at shortstop. He earned seven OAA and seven FRV in 2025, though his -4 DRS likely kept him out of the running at such a loaded position in the Senior Circuit.
Gold Glove winners will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 2.
Heading into Chicago to face a hostile crowd and the Cubs, the Padres were always going to have to get creative to win in the Wild Card Round.
Their playoff roster has been released, and there's a few surprises, particularly at the catcher position.
Catchers (3): Freddy Fermin, Martín Maldonado, Luis Campusano
Infield (7): Ryan O’Hearn, Luis Arraez, Jake Cronenworth, Xander Bogaerts, Manny Machado, Jose Iglesias, Mason McCoy
Outfield (4): Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Gavin Sheets, Bryce Johnson
Starters (5): Nick Pivetta, Dylan Cease, Yu Darvish, Michael King, Randy Vásquez
Relievers (7): Robert Suarez, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta, Bradgley Rodriguez
So, Elias Diaz is officially out (hurt his oblique over the weekend), and Luis Campusano and Martin Maldonado are in. Neither backstop has been with the big league club since before the trade deadline...
What do you think of the Padres' playoff roster? Are you surprised by any decisions made by Mike Shildt and the front office?
After his first major league start back from injury, Michael King has once again been placed on the injured list with knee inflammation. At the moment, it’s only the 15-day IL, but we don’t know the severity of it yet, and it may be longer than that. Who can step up in the interim for the Padres while King is out?
The Padres currently have Yu Darvish, Dylan Cease, Nick Pivetta, and Nestor Cortes leading their rotation, and these four could see more innings while King is out. Randy Vásquez is the most immediate depth option. In 2025, he’s logged 111 1/3 innings across 23 games (22 starts) with a 3.96 ERA, and he just worked 4 2/3 innings of relief on August 15 at Dodger Stadium.
Left-hander Kyle Hart is another internal choice. He opened the year on the 26-man roster and has handled bulk work; his last appearance for the Padres was on July 24th. He is currently pitching out of the bullpen in Triple-A El Paso.
The Padres are now back in second place in the NL West; they are still only two games back of the Dodgers, but they need their bullpen and starting rotation to step up and play at their best to regain the NL West lead.
If King is out the rest of the season, the Padres' postseason rotation could consist of Darvish, Cease, Pievetta, and Cortes as their postseason starters. The Padres are still on pace for the playoffs, and as of this moment, they hold the second Wild Card spot in the National League, 2.5 games ahead of the Mets, who hold the third and final Wild Card spot.
Michael King is returning to the injured list after making only a single start with the Padres, and just hours after Padres Mission wrote a note about his importance to the stretch run.
San Diego placed the right-handed King on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation, retroactive to August 11. The move came five days after he was activated and one start into his return. San Diego recalled right-hander Randy Vásquez from Triple-A El Paso in the corresponding transaction. King had been lined up to start the series opener in Los Angeles on Friday.
King previously spent nearly three months sidelined with a right shoulder issue identified as a long thoracic nerve problem. He was placed on the injured list on May 25, transferred to the 60-day IL on July 7, and then activated on August 9 to face Boston. In that start, he worked two innings on 57 pitches, allowing four hits and two runs with one strikeout.
Across 11 starts this season, King has logged 57 1/3 innings with 65 strikeouts, a 2.81 ERA, and a 3.30 FIP. His strikeout rate is 27.5 percent, walk rate 8.1 percent, and K-BB% 19.5 percent. FanGraphs has him with 1.4 WAR on the season.
In his first game back from injury, Michael King pitched two innings and recorded a strikeout, allowed two walks, and allowed two earned runs on four hits against the Red Sox. King only threw 57 pitches before being pulled in the third inning.
King, now 30 years old, made only a single Triple-A rehab start before returning to the Padres’ rotation. It is expected that he will need several more turns in the major league rotation to work himself back to a full starter’s workload.
Addressing his return, King said: “The release point was off on some pitches, but I had to make those adjustments.” He added that “when I’m really rolling I can make those one-pitch adjustments. It took me a couple pitches to adjust, but I’ll definitely be faster with those adjustments in my next outings.”
Despite the short outing and poor performance, the Padres found a way to win. They walked off in the bottom of the 10th to defeat Boston 5-4 thanks to Ramon Laureano’s walk-off single. King is optimistic that his performance will improve over his next few starts as he continues to get back into form and help the Padres in their playoff push.
King’s next projected start will be against the Dodgers on the road, where he has the potential to help the Padres keep their NL West division lead over the Dodgers. King has 11 starts this season with a 2.81 ERA, 57 ⅔ innings picked, 65 strikeouts, and a 1.09 WHIP.
San Diego fortified its infield depth by acquiring 26-year-old left-handed bat Will Wagner from Toronto for 24-year-old switch-hitting catcher Brandon Valenzuela.
Wagner spent most of 2025 shuttling between Buffalo and the big-league club. In 18 International League games, he produced a .268/.342/.451 slash, good for a .792 OPS across 79 plate appearances. That accounts for a .322 wOBA and 106 wRC+, suggesting league-average production with above-average on-base skills. With the Blue Jays, Wagner appeared in 40 major-league games, posting a .237/.336/.298 line over 132 trips to the plate. He has logged time at second, third, and first this season, giving the Padres a versatile left-side option who pairs double-digit walk rates with modest power.
Valenzuela heads to Toronto after spending the year as San Antonio’s primary catcher. Through 81 Texas League games, the Sonora native owns a .232/.313/.390 line in 352 plate appearances, including 14 doubles and 11 homers. His walk rate sits just over 10 percent, and he has handled southpaws appropriately while maintaining steady switch-hit splits. Valenzuela’s defensive résumé features regular work behind the plate and occasional first-base starts; he has allowed five steals against two caught-stealing this season, numbers primarily in line with his prior career rates.
Whether or not they add at the deadline, the San Diego Padres will receive a boost to their starting rotation when Michael King returns to the rotation, which may happen sooner rather than later.
In front of a pool of reporters on Friday, Friars manager Mike Shildt shared that starting pitcher King "felt good" after a bullpen on Wednesday and is scheduled for a simulated start on Monday.
In 10 starts, covering 55 2/3 innings, King posted an excellent 2.59 ERA. He carried a solid strikeout rate with a K% of 28.4% and a good walk rate at 7.6%, leading to a strong K-BB% of 20.8%. He even threw his first career complete game shutout in April. Unfortunately, his season was interrupted in May when he was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, which was later diagnosed as a nerve impingement. He was subsequently transferred to the 60-day injured list in early July.
How much can we count on Michael King to bolster the Padres rotation? Join the conversation in the comments!
The Padres selected Ty Harvey, a high school catcher out of Inspiration Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Harvey is a Florida State commit.
The high school catching demographic is one of, if not the riskiest, demographics to draft from, as they are particularly difficult to project. Regardless, Harvey was one of the top high school catchers on the board due to his power projection at the plate as well as his advanced defense behind the plate.
While he does have some of the best raw power in the prep class this year, there appear to be some holes in the swing as MLB Pipeline's description of Harvey states, "others have seen him pull the ball hard but struggle with pitches down in the zone because of a stiff setup." The good news is that he has displayed above-average bat-to-ball skills for a power hitter his age, so that should help him tap into his power at the next level.
Harvey is big for a catcher, standing in at 6'2" and 215 pounds with even more projection in his frame. However, it looks like he'll have a good shot at remaining behind the plate. MLB Pipeline states that, "Harvey has every chance to stick behind the plate, with good hands and solid receiving skills. He moves well, especially for his size."
Michael Salina, a 21-year-old junior from St. Bonaventure, has made school history as the highest draft pick to come from there. Salina came from the high school ranks in New York before opening his college career with George Mason as a reliever in his freshman year. He transferred to St. Bonaventure for his sophomore year, where he made 12 starts, posting a 4.78 ERA while striking out 64 in 58 1/3 innings.
Salina's draft stock took a hit this spring after he suffered an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery after just four starts. Prior to the injury, he owned a 4.15 ERA while striking out 35.1% of the batters he had faced.
His fastball stands out as the carrying tool as it sat in the mid to high-90s with great extension, and even reached as high as 102 mph. He throws a hard slider with two-plane movement to complement the slider, which profiles really well in a big league bullpen. While he has shown some success as a starter at the college level, the likely scenario is that he ends up in a relief role as a potential high-leverage option following his recovery.
Yu Darvish, the 38-year-old right-hander from Japan, is set to return to the mound Monday for the Padres after a lengthy absence due to injury. Darvish began experiencing right elbow inflammation during spring training and was initially placed on the 15-day injured list on March 27, retroactive to March 24. As the issue lingered, the Padres transferred him to the 60-day IL to give him additional time to recover.
Darvish has not pitched in a major league game in 2025. The Padres and manager Mike Shildt have confirmed he’ll be activated to start against the Diamondbacks on July 8, albeit likely with a pitch limit.
In 2024, Darvish made 16 starts, posting a 3.31 ERA, 4.08 FIP, and a 9.1 K/9. For his career, he has started 282 games with a 3.59 ERA and over 1,900 strikeouts.
Darvish’s return gives a boost to the Padres' rotation. If healthy, he could play a pivotal role in the second half as San Diego looks to gain ground in the wild-card race.
Manny Machado has been selected to be the All-Star Game starter for the National League at third base. This is his fourth selection as a starter. He is the only Padre to be fan-selected to start the All-Star Game, happening later this month in Atlanta.
Machado is enjoying yet another standout season. He’s slashing .289/.351/.471 with 13 homers and 50 RBI, and his slugging percentage leads the Padres. Machado’s advanced metrics further underscore his efficiency: he boasts a .356 wOBA and a .378 xwOBA, with a hard-hit rate near 49%. On the Padres, he trails only Fernando Tatis Jr. with a 2.5 FanGraphs WAR. He crossed the 350-career-homer barrier in June and is closing in on 2,000 career hits, setting him up for major milestones if he keeps this pace.
After 95 abysmal plate appearances this season, the San Diego Padres have DFA'd Jason Heyward.
Heyward, 36, is slashing .176/.223/.271 with two home runs this season. That..."production"...is good for a 38 wRC+ and -0.5 fWAR.
This likely marks the end of a solid, 15-year career for Heyward, who played in 1,824 games for the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Padres. A highly touted prospect, Heyward maybe didn't live up to those expectations but ended up as a 34.9 fWAR player for his career.
The injury timeline for San Diego Padres starting pitcher, Michael King, who hasn't been on the field since May 18, just got a little bit clearer.
AJ Cassavell of MLB.com is reporting that Padres manager Mike Schildt doesn't anticipate Michael King to be available until after the All-Star break.
That timeline will put the Padres in a precarious position with the trade deadline looming. It's likely that come the end of July there will still be uncertainty surrounding kings availability, and how quickly he can build up from a two plus month shoulder injury.
Considering that timeline, as well as the Padres ownership issues, do you anticipate them being active at the deadline? If they are, what areas of need would you like to see them address?