Winners and Losers From the Padres’ 2026 Arbitration Agreements

Padres general manager A.J. Preller has done it again. Since becoming GM in 2016, Preller has never failed to agree on a contract with a player before arbitration hearings.

This offseason’s class posed a more difficult challenge than usual, with the team’s three best relievers - Adrian Morejon, Mason Miller, and Jason Adam - all eligible for new deals, along with platoon bats Gavin Sheets and Freddy Fermin.

With all five players serving as key contributors to the Padres’ 2025 playoff appearance, seeing any of them leave would have been a tough pill to swallow. Fans can rest assured that this group will remain in San Diego for 2026.

With the respective amounts made public, we can take a look at who the winners and losers of the negotiations are.

Winners

The Padres Bullpen

This is an obvious one. After losing two-time All-Star closer Robert Suarez on a three-year, $45 million contract to the Braves, it was imperative that Preller retain his other three star relievers.

A full season of Miller (0.77 ERA / 1.12 FIP / 23.1 IP) and a healthy Adam (1.93 ERA / 3.07 FIP / 65.1 IP) should compensate for the loss of Suarez.

Jason Adam

Sticking with the bullpen for now, Adam certainly got the friendliest deal of the reliever trio. In 2026, he’ll make $6.675 million compared to Miller’s $4 million and Morejon’s $3.9 million. Although he’s been nothing short of unhittable in a Padres uniform, Adam does have some question marks that make his player-friendly salary a surprise.

He suffered a ruptured left quadriceps tendon in September that will likely keep him out at the beginning of 2026, and his advanced analytics raise some concerns. As shown by his ERA and FIP, the production is elite, but his 3.98 xFIP and mediocre velocity (54th percentile fastball velocity), paired with poor walk rates (28th percentile), could lead to regression.

Nonetheless, Adam is a key part of the Padres roster, and giving him a generous arbitration deal heavily outweighs any alternatives - whether that be a hearing or losing him in free agency.

Freddy Fermin

He may have the lowest dollar figure of the group, but Fermin has to feel good entering 2026. After spending the last two seasons as Salvador Perez’s backup in Kansas City, he has a chance to enter spring training as the lead catcher in San Diego.

Spending a full season in a playoff-contending lineup with superstars such as Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. should put him in a position for offensive success. Since the July trade deadline, Fermin has gone from a backup catcher making less than $1 million on a struggling Royals team to a starting catcher making $2 million on a contender.