By making virtually few moves during the winter, the San Diego Padres have dampened the hope of the Friar Faithful for the 2025 season. This reflects the current situation of the franchise, and there is no point in discussing the topic…or is there?
The Padres 93-win 2024 season was underwhelming. The club chased the Los Angeles Dodgers all summer and could not complete the mission of eliminating them after being up 2-1 in the National League Divisional Series.
Not only do the Friars have to worry about the Dodgers, but the Arizona Diamondbacks are young, eager, and ready to return after a poor campaign. The Padres have a talented core group that can change the storyline of their story.
The Friar Faithful could regard the signing of Jason Hayward and Connor Joe to be cosmetic moves. But President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller is not done adjusting this roster.
The media have targeted players as the next to depart town. It is feasible that all may be off the Padres roster by Opening Day. The bottom line, the Friars need changes to contend in 2025.
There are three questions Preller will have to answer before departing Peoria this spring:
First question: Who is the DH?
The Padres brass may not know the name of their designated hitter at this moment, but that player must be a proven run generator. They will be fully expected to have an impact in the middle of the lineup.
Preller must select which hitter gives the most possibility to remain a contender in the heated NL West division hunt.
J.D. Martinez is the best free-agent DH option available. He had a solid 2024 year, batting .235 with 16 HRs and 69 RBIs with the New York Mets, despite signing at the end of spring training. Martinez fought hard to play catchup, but his batting average substantially slipped in the second half of the season.
Let’s not forget that Martinez is one year removed from hitting .271 with 33 HRs and 103 RBIs during his one season with the Dodgers. It earned him an All-Star Game appearance, and no one would be surprised if Martinez rebounds to become one of the league’s leading run producers again.
Second question: Who else in the rotation after Michael King, Dylan Cease, and Yu Darvish
The first three names in the Padres rotation have demonstrated to be effective major-league pitchers. Each was steady and consistent on the mound every sixth day.
But the Friars are uncertain on who will be the fourth and fifth starting in the rotation. Randy Vasquez and Matt Waldron are potential in-house candidates, as both will have a shot to win a position in spring training games.
But the front office may want to add another veteran arm. Andrew Heaney and Lance Lynn are still available on the open market. Each pitcher is durable enough to last a complete season without missing a single start. Heaney and Lynn should be open to signing a short-term pact with an opt-out option. It would allow them to build their value before hitting free agency once again next winter.
Third question: Is Robert Suarez the next to leave San Diego?
There has been much conjecture regarding the Padres relocating a big-money contract to acquire greater financial flexibility. First, it was Luis Arrez and Dylan Cease getting traded. Now, suspicion centered on closer Robert Suarez being the next to leave San Diego.
It is no surprise that he is a candidate, given Suarez will turn 34 next month. The Friars may be eager to deal him before his trade value drops.
His statistical numbers make him an enticing trade option for organizations seeking a high-leverage reliever. Suarez had an impressive 2024 year, striking out 59 batters while earning a 2.77 ERA over 65.0 IP. But he did fail to keep the ball in the park (2.7% rate).
The likelihood of Suarez being traded before Opening Day is slim. The Padres may wait to hear offers until we get closer to the trade deadline, since competitive teams will overpay for his services.
The great thing about a baseball season, it is a marathon and not a sprint event. Preller and his staff have around six weeks to observe and make the necessary changes to fill the holes on the roster.
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