The San Diego Padres had an exciting offensive unit in 2026, but it was far from consistent. At the All-Star break, Fernando Tatis Jr. had just five home runs, Manny Machado was hitting just .203 (with 19 home runs) and Jackson Merrill had a .219 average with a .628 OPS.
Welcome to our series grading every member of the San Diego Padres’ 40-man roster. The roster being evaluated is current as of Oct. 18, prior to the end of the World Series.
One of the most important puzzle pieces for the San Diego Padres this offseason rests on the left arm of middle reliever Adrian Morejon. His clasification is important here because he is not expected to be paid as a middle reliever this winter.
The San Diego Padres are already experiencing some of the immense roster turnover that was expected to be had this offseason. Given that the offseason in question may last significantly longer than normal due to the impending MLB lockout, there is a lot of work to be done before Dec.
The 2026 MLB season was driven by top performances from young players, and the crop of young talent in the minors has never been greater. These 25 prospects could emerge as top MLB players in 2027.
The San Diego Padres have suffered their first major loss of the winter. Padres Chief Operating Officer Caroline Perry has been hired by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Miguel Andujar proved to be a solid pickup for the San Diego Padres, but he is now choosing to enter free agency. Andujar signed a $4 million deal with the Padres last offseason and had an $8 million mutual option for 2027.
On Monday, November 2, the deadline for MLB teams to make qualifying offers to their players passed, and eight players around the league received them.
The San Diego Padres made a roster move on Monday which prevented a pitcher from entering the free agency pool. In order for the southpaw to not become a potential casualty of the Rule 5 draft, San Diego added the 23-year-old to the 40-man roster despite an injury-riddled 2026 campaign.
The San Diego Padres' pitching depth was tested in 2026. After more than half of their starting rotation became free agents after the World Series ended, that depth could be tested even more next season.
The San Diego Padres have extended a qualifying offer to left-handed pitcher Adrian Morejon. Morejon is one of eight players who received a qualifying offer — a one-year contract worth $23.15 million — ahead of Monday's deadline.
Free agency officially started on November 2, giving Major League teams the chance to upgrade in preparation for whatever is in store next season. This year’s market of starting pitchers includes several high-profile starting pitchers, with one clearly standing out amongst the rest.
The San Diego Padres received a bittersweet performance from right-hander Michael King this past season. Normally, a 31-year-old star pitcher in a rotation that saw the fourth-fewest innings pitched in baseball having the best season of his career is a good thing.
You can add more names to the growing free agent market. Nick Pivetta is now a free agent after two seasons with the Padres, while Luis Robert Jr., who spent 2026 between the Mets and Orioles, will go to market for the first time in his MLB career.
The Padres have some clarity on a couple of bullpen pieces. The team has picked up their $2.5MM club option on Kyle Hart, while left-hander Yuki Matsui has declined to exercise his opt-out clause, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Padres left-hander Wandy Peralta has exercised his $4.45MM player option, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post. He will return as a member of San Diego’s bullpen for 2027.
The San Diego Padres will have Wandy Peralta back in their bullpen next season, as the veteran left-hander has opted into the final year of his contract worth roughly $4.5 million for 2027.
The San Diego Padres declined their $14 million club option on right-handed starting pitcher Nick Pivetta for 2027, making the 33-year-old a free agent.
The San Diego Padres enter the offseason with a catching picture that finally looks settled on the surface and unsettled underneath. Luis Campusano, the longtime prospect who spent years bouncing between the majors and Triple-A, delivered the best offensive stretch of his career in 2026.
Yet again, the Padres made it back to the playoffs in 2026. But heading into the offseason, two of the team’s strengths from last year must be addressed thanks to pending free agents, including Ty France and Adrian Morejon.
Michael King made the first major bet of his offseason by walking away from comfort. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman took to X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday to report that King opted out of his player option and will become a free agent.
After a roller coaster season, the San Diego Padres now face another busy offseason with plenty of decisions to make. Among those decisions is a potential logjam at catcher.