Jul 3, 2009; San Diego, CA, USA; General view of Petco Park and the downtown San Diego skyline during the MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Padres Chairman Gets Brutally Honest About Team's Weaknesses in Loss to Cubs

Originally posted on San Diego Padres on SI
By Patrick Warren | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 11:59 AM ET

The 2025 season came to a disappointing finish for the San Diego Padres after they fell apart in the Wild Card round against the Chicago Cubs.

The Padres offense scored just five runs across the three-game series, wasting what was all things considered a strong pitching performance throughout the series.

In a rare display of transparency, Padres chairman John Seidler explicitly called out the team's weakness and how it was exposed by the Cubs in their Wild Card loss.

“While we have made the postseason in four of the last six years and had two consecutive 90-win regular seasons for the first time in franchise history, we fell short of our goal to win a World Series Championship,” Seidler wrote. “Our elimination in the Wild Card round was a disappointment and exposed areas where we must improve. As we look ahead to 2026, our goal remains the same, but we need to get better to accomplish that goal. The process of getting better will begin immediately as we perform a thorough review of our organization with an eye towards improving and winning our first World Series Championship.”

Seidler's last sentence stands out in particular, as the team is clearly focused on making changes to avoid a repeat of this season's results. While the team comfortably made the postseason, it was clear that the team was middling by the time the postseason came around, winning just 14 of 25 games in September.

However, the Padres front office's thorough review of its staff will likely extend beyond president of baseball operations A.J. Preller and manager Mike Shildt, who The San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee reports will likely remain in their roles.

"Multiple sources have said Shildt’s spot is virtually guaranteed and that Preller’s long-term employment with the Padres is practically assured," Acee wrote. "Some of those same sources said they expect an extension for Preller to be announced this month."

According to Acee's sources within the organization, one major emphasis the Padres will attempt to address over the offseason is their hitting philosophy, specifically in the power department.

The Padres hit the 28th-most home runs this season, a year after hitting the 10th-most in 2024.

With several coaches on expiring contracts, there could be significant overhaul in the assistant coaching department as the Padres seek to make a deep run in the playoffs in 2026.