Mar 27, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller looks on before an Opening Day baseball game between the San Diego Padres and the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Padres' AJ Preller Reveals Top Roster Priority This Offseason

Originally posted on San Diego Padres on SI
By Aaron Coloma | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 11:59 AM ET

San Diego Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller spoke about the Padres' top offseason priorities in regards to their roster, citing starting pitching as a key area to fix.

“The core foundation, in terms of the position-player group and the bullpen, is there,”Preller said.“Starting pitching is a clear area of need.”

The Padres struggled with injury among their rotation in 2025, and are set to lose several key players this winter. Dylan Cease and Nestor Cortes are both set to enter free agency, Michael King looks ready to opt out of the final year of his deal and Yu Darvish is contemplating his future.

“That’s something I’ll go into the offseason and think about,” Darvish said after the season. “I can’t really wrap my mind around that right now.”

The Padres will, at the very least, retain Nick Pivetta and see the return of Joe Musgrove, meaning they could still have to fill three spots on their roster. The Padres could make some adjustments internally, however, their options aren't quite what they'd like them to be.

J.P. Sears and Randy Vasquez are both options for the back of the rotation, though neither are likely to be a long term solution for the Padres. Mason Miller could move into the rotation from the bullpen, however, that will leave the closer role open and put the young All-Star at risk of injury. If they're to rebuild their rotation, they may need to make some signings in free agency.

This could be a tall task for the Padres, though, as they will already have the fourth-highest payroll in the 2026 season and will need to operate on a budget during the offseason.

The Padres have definitely done so in the past — such as signing Pivetta and turning him into an ace last season — and will definitely need to do so again ahead of 2026 if they're to have any chance at challenging the Dodgers in the NL West.

The Padres finished three games worse than the Dodgers in 2025, and have some work to do during free agency if they're to catch their division rivals in the upcoming season.