The San Diego Padres are coming off a season where they found themselves in the postseason for the second year in a row. Unfortunately, they would not make a deep run, as their season would end against the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card.
So far, this offseason has been a bit of a disaster for San Diego and its fanbase. They lost their ace, Dylan Cease, after he signed a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
They will also be without Yu Darvish next season after he underwent surgery to repair his UCL and flexor tendon in his right elbow. The Padres were able to re-sign Michael King, but there is a big need to bring in another frontline starter, or the 2026 season could be a tough one.
MORE: Padres have some work to do if they want to get their offseason grade up
Padres advised to figure out a way to acquire a valuable arm and bat with limited funds
One thing that has set San Diego back this offseason is their limited funds before they surpass the first luxury-tax threshold. So bringing in some valuable players that will not cost the club much has proved to be tough.
Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer argues they could bring in some exciting players in a trade involving Jake Cronenworth, or they could go broke swinging for the fences to acquire a difference-maker.
"There could be a way to add and subtract in a trade, however, particularly one involving an albatross deal such as Jake Cronenworth's. The Padres could also just go for broke, as they may have been willing to do with Kazuma Okamoto."
Moving on from Cronenworth could open up some more financial flexibility for San Diego, or they could bypass their luxury-tax scare and spend as much as they can to bring in someone who could put them in a better position for the 2026 season.
More MLB news:
- Yankees encouraged to make a big splash and turn around their quiet offseason
- Mets urged to bring in another difference-maker following a flurry of moves
- Red Sox have other options if they cannot re-sign Alex Bregman
- Cubs encouraged to find Kyle Tucker replacement before it's too late
- Rockies receive high offseason praise despite lackluster deals