By making very few moves during the offseason, the San Diego Padres have dampened the hope of the Friar Faithful for the 2025 season. This reflects the current state of the franchise, and there is no point in debating the topic…or is there?
The Padres 93-win 2024 season was disappointing. The team chased the Los Angeles Dodgers all summer and could not complete the assignment 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, hungry, and ready to rebound from a disappointing campaign. The Padres have a talented core group that can change the narrative of their story.
The Friar Faithful might consider the signing of Jason Hayward and Connor Joe to be superficial moves. But President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller is not done tweaking this roster.
The media have targeted players as the next to leave town. It is possible 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 leaving Peoria this spring:
First question: Who is the DH?
The Padres brass may not know the name of their designated hitter at this time, but that player must be a proven run producer. They will be fully expected to make an impact in the middle of the lineup.
Preller must decide which hitter offers the best opportunity to remain a contender in the competitive NL West division chase.
J.D. Martinez is the best free-agent DH option available. He had a productive 2024 campaign, batting .235 with 16 HRs and 69 RBIs for the New York Mets, despite signing at the end of spring training. Martinez worked hard to play catchup, but his batting average significantly dipped in the second half of last 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 top 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 shown to be effective major-league starters. Each was steady and consistent on the mound every fifth day.
But the Friars are undecided on who will be the fourth and fifth starter in the rotation. Randy Vasquez and Matt Waldron are likely in-house candidates, as both will have an opportunity to earn a spot 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 an entire season without missing a single start. Heaney and Lynn should be open to signing a short-term deal with an opt-out clause. 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 speculation about the Padres moving a big-money contract to gain more financial flexibility. First, it was Luis Arrez and Dylan Cease getting traded. Now, speculation centers on closer Robert Suarez being the next to leave San Diego.
It is no surprise that he is a candidate, as Suarez will turn 34 next month. The Friars may be looking to deal him before his trade value declines.
His statistical numbers make him an attractive trade option for clubs seeking a high-leverage reliever. Suarez had an outstanding 2024 campaign, striking out 59 batters while posting a 2.77 ERA over 65.0 IP. But he did struggle to keep the ball in the park (2.7% rate).
The likelihood of Suarez being traded before Opening Day is small. The Padres may wait to entertain offers until we get closer to the trade deadline, as contending teams will overpay for his services.
The great thing about a baseball season, it is a marathon and not a sprint race. Preller and his staff have approximately six weeks to observe and make the necessary changes to fill the holes on the roster.
