In the span of a few months, the San Diego Padres went from possible trade deadline sellers to one of the hottest teams in baseball. After pulverizing the Chicago Cubs in a two-game wild-card series, the Milwaukee Brewers posed too much of a challenge in the National League Division Series.
It was a rollercoaster, to be sure. The Padres probably don't need as many upgrades as they appeared to need in their lowest moment. Nor were they as close to fielding a championship team as it seemed when they were playing their best.
In spite all of that, the Padres' biggest offseason needs are fairly obvious. Here they are, in order:
1. Starting Pitching
Michael King holds a $28 million player option for next season, which he will be expected to decline. Throw in the impending free agency of Robbie Ray, Walker Buehler and Casey Mize, and that's four-fifths of a rotation the Padres will need to address this offseason. Exercising the club option on Nick Pivetta isn't much of an option at all.
The rotation was the biggest area of disparity between the Padres and the Brewers in the season-ending series loss, so the answer isn't as simple as bringing everyone back. Mize is the only one in that group who pitched this season under 30 years old, and he pitched his way out of the Padres' postseason rotation by posting a 7.46 ERA in 10 starts to end the season.
Getting better and getting younger is easier said than done, of course. Can A.J. Preller crowdsource his way to a solution like he did last offseason, when he took low-risk fliers on Griffin Canning and German Marquez in addition to Buehler? Will he have to explore the trade route?
The 2027 rotation could look very similar to this one — or very different.
2. Left Field
Ramon Laureano suffered a season-ending hip injury in June. Samad Taylor exceeded expectations as a midseason replacement (0.8 WAR in 47 games) in a sample size too small to predict future success. The depth chart will need more depth.
Utility player Luis Rengifo, who suffered a season-ending injury in August, is an option in left field if they bring him back. Taylor Ward is the standout name in a relatively weak free agent class.
3. Bullpen
While it isn't necessarily an area of need, losing Jason Adam and Adrian Morejon to free agency would turn the Padres' greatest area of strength into a potential weakness. Morejon in particular has established himself as one of the game's most durable and reliable left-handed setup men and is nearly impossible to replace.
The Padres could re-sign Morejon as a starter, but that would plug one hole by opening another. Adam, 35, had a 2.62 ERA in the regular season but made only 38 appearances because of injuries.
The Padres don't need a closer, but they need to make sure Mason Miller has plenty of leads to protect. He can't do it himself.
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