The San Diego Padres are expected to have an aggressive offseason as they look to build a roster not just capable of making the postseason, but sustaining a World Series run.
“I think we all understand that we have a few more steps we need to take, and the ultimate goal is to be playing at this time of year and be playing on the big stage in a World Series situation,” Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller said this week on a conference call with reporters. “So everybody here at Petco [Park] — the commitment from ownership, from everybody, is going to be about how do we take another step or two and continue to get better."
“I think there’s a lot of ways to get to that step," he added. "I think we’ll examine it all: improve the bullpen, improve the rotation, improve the offense. But I think we’re in position to take advantage of that. We’ve got to probably take another step or two here to get where [we want] to get to.”
While the Padres desperately need to put together a starting rotation, they also need to look at an offense that's disappeared in the postseason each of the last three years.
One way to do that? Target New York Yankees free agent Jazz Chisholm Jr. — and Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer listed San Diego as his No. 3 landing spot in free agency.
Why Jazz Chisholm Jr. Makes Sense for the Padres
In 2025, Chisholm appeared to be setting himself up for a massive pay day when he reached free agency this offseason.
The outfielder-turned-second-baseman had 31 home runs, 80 RBIs, 31 stolen bases and an OPS of .813 in 2025. He made the All-Star team, won a Silver Slugger award and played elite defense.
Unfortunately, his walk year turned out to be more of a dud.
Chisholm finished with a .711 OPS — his lowest in a full season — and hit 19 home runs with 55 RBIs. His defense, however, remained elite, and he had a career-high 41 stolen bases.
Chisholm won't get the contract he expected after his 2025 season. He still should earn a decent amount as one of few great position player options on the market. Spotrac projects a two-year, $34.9 million deal.
Chisholm will be 29 years old next year, and would be a great piece to add to San Diego's aging roster. His energy would be an incredible addition to an already raucous Petco Park. His ability to steal bases and impact the game with his legs would go great in San Diego's style of offense.
Moreover, he would provide a spark to an offense that desperately needs it after flaming out in the postseason yet again.
The only issue is figuring out where Chisholm would play — and what it would mean for the rest of the lineup.
Chisholm has experience at center field, second base and third base. He's going to remain in the infield, which takes out center field (which wouldn't have been an option in San Diego anyway).
He isn't going to play third base, where Manny Machado will be for the foreseeable future.
So that leaves second base.
In order to play Chisholm at second base, the Padres would need to move Jake Cronenworth.
They could move him to first base if they don't plan on bringing back Ty France (which would be a mistake). Or, they could look to trade him, which would make some sense if they could find a trading partner willing to take on the last four years and $50 million on his contract.
Cronenworth is coming off a career-worst season and turns 33 in January. Replacing him with a younger and more explosive player in Chisholm could be the spark the Padres lineup needs in 2027.
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