Padres Miss on Another Budget Bat as NL West Rival Adds Depth

On theme with the entire offseason, the Padres have lost another free-agent target to a National League rival. This time, it’s former All-Star Carlos Santana, who signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Not only is the move frustrating because Santana would have been a solid fit in San Diego, but the price tag is also concerning. At $2 million, Santana’s deal is fairly expensive for a player of his caliber at this stage of his career. If that is the market for Santana, it raises questions about whether any of the remaining impact bats will fall within the Padres’ price range.

D-backs, 1B Carlos Santana reportedly agree to one-year deal, per multiple reports including MLB's @SteveGilbertMLB. pic.twitter.com/rjABhLuKMO
— MLB (@MLB) February 3, 2026

After a strong three-year stretch from 2022-24, Santana struggled in 2025. Across 474 plate appearances with the Guardians and Cubs, he hit 11 home runs, drove in 49 runs and posted an 82 wRC+.

Despite that down year, Santana still held value due to his reputation as a veteran leader with playoff experience, switch-hitting ability and his consistent production from 2022-24.

During that span, Santana played for the Royals, Mariners, Pirates, Brewers and Twins. As a gun-for-hire, he totaled 1,719 plate appearances, hit 65 home runs and produced a 105 wRC+. That body of work was enough to earn him another multi-million-dollar deal, even after a disappointing 2025 season.

The concern in San Diego is not necessarily missing out on Santana specifically. His salary is steep for a 39-year-old coming off the worst season of his career. The bigger worry is whether the Padres were simply outbid.

Among the remaining free agents in Santana’s tier: Paul Goldschmidt, Ty France and Rhys Hoskins, Santana was widely expected to be the cheapest option. If he commanded $2 million, that trio is likely seeking even more, potentially putting all of them out of the Padres’ range.

As things stand, the Padres’ payroll remains capped at last season’s level. Ownership has committed to fielding a top-10 payroll, but with an ownership transition ongoing, has been unwilling to take on additional money.

If the Padres fail to add even a bench bat, the outlook for the 2026 lineup becomes bleak. Gavin Sheets is expected to receive full-time at-bats at first base, leaving the team without a true designated hitter. Manny Machado could slide into the DH role at times, but there are no proven bats on the bench capable of backing him up at third base. Perhaps Korean addition Sung-Mon Song could learn to play the hot corner, but there is no guarantee his defense would translate.

Ultimately, the Padres have a glaring hole at DH - the most offense-driven position in baseball, obviously - and another potential solution has just come off the board.