The San Diego Padres are still very much in the thick of things in the National League Wild Card race. They still trail the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, and San Francisco is one of the hottest teams in baseball.
Following the season, the Padres' president of baseball operations, AJ Preller, will have several decisions on his hands. San Diego has three key impending free agents in Dylan Cease, Ryan O'Hearn, and Luiz Arráez.
Should the Padres want to re-sign Ryan O'Hearn?
The Padres traded for Ryan O'Hearn at the 2025 trade deadline, and for the most part, he has been a bust for San Diego's lineup.
In 39 games with the team, he has an OPS of .663 and just seven XBH.
As for the entirety of the season, O'Hearn has 16 home runs and a .270 average.
He was named an all-star for the first time in his eight-year career, while with the Baltimore Orioles. His power potential makes him an expensive bat in free agency, and the fact that he's aging should scare the Padres away from signing him past a couple of years.
Preller will have other key decisions to make, but considering he knew that O'Hearn was likely going to just be a rental addition, that gives him the runway to let him sign elsewhere this Winter.
It's one of many interesting offseason decisions the Padres have to make. Luis Arraez is another market-setting decision, and Preller may also decide to let go of Cease. All three players have not been great in the Padres uniform this season, and Preller may opt to bring in several new faces as well.