Ranking the Padres' Top 5 Priorities for a Perfect Offseason

The San Diego Padres enter another offseason with almost as many expectations are there are items on their to-do list before Opening Day 2027.

Rest assured, president of baseball operations AJ Preller is the exact executive one would want in charge ahead of a crucial offseason (and the first of a new ownership duo) with potentially 17 free agents on the way out.

With additional financial support ahead of the offseason presumed but not yet solidified with the new ownership, there are five key moves that the Padres need to make happen regardless of what the price tag ends up being.

1. Re-sign RHP Michael King

Michael King has been nothing but phenomenal (when healthy) for the Padres since being acquired in the Juan Soto deal from the New York Yankees. This past season, he notched a 3.21 ERA across a career-high 185 innings and a career-high bWAR of 4.3.

He also logged 14 postseason innings (two starts and one relief appearance with a save) and put up a 0.64 ERA. In a season where starting pitchingcould not have been more scarce, King lived up to his last name.

The starting pitching issue will be significantly worse if King is not re-signed, but he will not be cheap. He is expected to opt out of his $28 million player option, but has also stated how much he loves the city and feeling like it is "a second home."

2. Re-sign 1B Ty France

If it wasn't for France, the Padres making the postseason may have been completely out of the question.

As ludicrous as it sounds for a player who started the year on a minor league deal, the Padres likely don't make it out of the hole they dug for themselves in the first half of the year without a 4.5 bWAR player who hit .295 and had an OPS+ nearly 40% higher than league average.

In fact, during the second half of the season, France hit .321 with a .908 OPS, upping his production when the rest of the offense started to heat up. He is predicted to get a sizable raise in 2027 as his 2026 numbers do not dictate another year playing for $1.35 million.

3. Re-sign LHP Adrian Morejon

Speaking of sizable raises, Adrian Morejon could get himself a $100 million contract, and if the Padres are the ones to give it to him, they'll retain one of baseball's best bullpens.

Morejon dialed up a 2.83 ERA this season to total a 2.58 mark in his last three seasons with the Padres.

There appears to be interest from Morejon in a return as well. After the Padres were eliminated in the National League Division Series, when asked if he wanted to return, his response was "everybody knows that" he wants to.

4. Address the left field issue

Offensive production was inconsistent throughout the entire season, but left field consistently had poor batting. A collective .251 was hit among the platoon with 16 home runs, but of the homers, six belonged to Gavin Sheets, who was mostly the DH or first baseman this season.

An everyday left fielder will be necessary moving forward, but unlike King and Morejon, Preller may not be able to get the hometown discount. With potential prices adding up in the hypothetical offseason, there is one more move that can free up $12 million per year through 2030.

5. Trade 2B Jake Cronenworth

Trading a fan favorite is never a popular move, but MLB is a business at the end of the day.

Cronenworth batted .225 in an injury-riddled seventh season with San Diego, but has been a shell of himself since his second consecutive All-Star campaign in 2022. Defensively, he has been a below-average defender in terms of Outs Above Average each season since 2023, and has had well-below-average arm strength since his debut.

Additionally, a Cronenwroth trade may appease a franchise cornerstone in Fernando Tatis Jr. The superstar has long discussed his affinity for the infield, and should the blockbuster deal occur, Tatis could return to the dirt while millions of dollars are freed up for years to come.

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