The San Diego Padres have already lost one of their key pieces in free agency, Dylan Cease. Earlier in the week, he signed a seven-year, $210 million contract, the largest free agent contract in Blue Jays franchise history.
However, that is not all the team is at risk of losing. Michael King sits on the open market alongside Robert Suarez, Nestor Cortes, Ryan O'Hearn, Jurickson Profar, Luis Arraez, and Jose Iglesias.
That is quite a bit, and the front office will be kept plenty busy over the next few months as they look to fill holes. Look for them to get aggressive in their pursuit of a frontline starter and add a power bat, likely at first base.
Padres projected to lose Robert Suarez to NL powerhouse in free agency
With the Padres' acquisition of Mason Miller, Robert Suarez's value has decreased a bit. San Diego is not likely to retain Suarez, and his projected landing spot may irk the fanbase.
The Athletic's Jim Bowden predicts that Robert Suarez will sign a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers for five years, valued at $80 million.
"Suarez stays in the NL West and becomes the Dodgers' clear closer with Roki Sasaki moving to the rotation."
Bowden believes Suarez will head to the Dodgers' bullpen as their closer, which would allow Roki Sasaki to return to the starting rotation.
This certainly would not be a move that Padres fans would be happy about, as he would stay in the NL West. They would have to face their former closer multiple times a season, and you can bet Suarez will have a chip on his shoulder when pitching in those games.
Adding Suarez would give the Dodgers more wiggle room in the bullpen, something they were missing in 2025. It is hard to think about the Blue Crew getting better, but that could come to fruition with this projection.
More MLB news:
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- Framber Valdez's market projected to rival top free agent sluggers
- Braves projected to retain former Gold Glove Award winner on short-term deal