The GM Conferences are underway in San Antonio to formally kick off offseason duties for each group in Main League Baseball. A type of groups have been the Dodgers largest challenger: the San Diego Padres. What must occur to place them again in place to contend once more in 2025?
Ruben Niebla and Ben Fritz contracts
Who is aware of if each have dedicated again already and we simply don’t learn about it but however their contracts expired on the finish of final season. Niebla and Fritz have been the pitching and bullpen coaches, respectively, and have finished a pleasant job getting probably the most out of incoming pitchers annually. Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Michael King and Jeremiah Estrada are 4 that instantly come to thoughts.
Changing Niebla looks like it will be fairly troublesome so let’s get these contracts finished—please and thanks.
Left Subject
Personally I hope Jurickson Profar is the man who’s in left discipline once more on Opening Day however he’s a free agent so left discipline is unquestionably a gap proper now. Sure, Profar didn’t end as sturdy as he began however the different free agent left fielders aren’t assured suits on this group. Profar is (and we all know he needs to be right here).
Catcher
Kyle Higashioka goes to have a number of suitors coming off his 20-homer season however will he be supplied the beginning function on one other contender? The Padres may provide that after one other underwhelming/disappointing Luis Campusano season. If it’s not Higashioka, then anticipate one other veteran to come back in.
Bench depth/DH
Donovan Solano and David Peralta have been good suits however they’re doubtless due for raises. It may very well be with the Padres however maybe they get a beginning alternative elsewhere. If this occurs, then A.J. Preller might want to discover his subsequent Solano and Peralta. Keep in mind, each have been on minor league offers final season.
DH is part of this want as a result of who is aware of what the infield alignment is strictly going to appear like. Will Luis Arraez be dealt? Will Jake Cronenworth be at first, which slides Arraez to DH?
Shortstop?
The query mark is as a result of we don’t but know if Xander Bogaerts goes to be there or in the event that they’ll go together with another choice. What we do know is it gained’t be Ha-Seong Kim as a result of he gained’t be prepared for Opening Day. He additionally could signal elsewhere on a multi-year deal (Boras consumer).
Different free agent shortstops embrace Willy Adames, Kyle Farmer, Paul DeJong, Amed Rosario, Tim Anderson and Nick Ahmed.
Excessive leverage reliever
No one actually thinks they’re going to pay Tanner Scott, proper? He’s arguably the perfect reliever available on the market and deservedly so, as he was dominant for probably the most half final season (1.75 ERA with 22 saves).
If he’s not again, then Preller will probably be on the look out for one more excessive leverage reliever. Sure, the bullpen is in strong form proper now (Robert Suarez, Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada and Adrian Morejon on the again) however as we noticed this previous postseason, starters aren’t going deep—and even 5 full innings—each night time so you may by no means have sufficient arms again there.
A number of starters (Musgrove substitute and extra)
In fact they want somebody to fill Musgrove’s footwear. Is that going to be straightforward? In fact not. The excellent news although is there are loads of fascinating names on the market available on the market this winter:
Justin Verlander
Max Scherzer
Blake Snell
Nathan Eovaldi
Frankie Montas
Corbin Burnes
Max Fried
Jack Flaherty
Walker Buehler
Sean Manaea
Shane Bieber
Luis Severino
Jose Quintana
Kyle Gibson
Yusei Kikuchi
Nick Pivetta
Michael Lorenzen
Roki Sasaki (probably)
After—or earlier than—filling that prime 4 starter slot, San Diego will doubtless be trying to find a number of depth starters. Matt Waldron and Randy Vasquez are choices in Spring Coaching however ought to Preller be counting on them to fill that fifth slot all 12 months? Accidents are at all times one thing to fret about as nicely.
