Which Free Agents Could Fall to the Padres Before Spring Training?
The Padres still have plenty of work to do as spring training inches closer. Who could they still realistically land this winter?
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The team with arguably the most interesting offseason was the San Diego Padres. From payroll questions to ownership turmoil, it was anyone’s guess how the team was going to look. However, as the offseason progressed, A.J. Preller consistently signaled that the front office’s goal was to invest in the team.
His biggest and most impactful move was bringing back Michael King, given how desperate the team was for starting pitching. The addition of Korean infielder Sung Mun Song gives the infield an everyday player with 20-20 capability. In between, there have been moves to bolster the end of the rotation and the bullpen.
With about five weeks before pitchers and catchers report, Preller still has work ahead of him.
In a perfect world, Preller would add another arm to the rotation and bring in a right-handed power bat. But to make that happen, payroll likely has to be shed, putting Jake Cronenworth and Nick Pivetta squarely in the middle of trade talks.
Big trade or not, what’s next for the Padres? Here are some potential names the Padres could add if their market stalls.
Eugenio Suárez
Signing a player of Eugenio Suárez’s caliber would make the Padres one of the most dangerous offenses in baseball. However, he will cost Preller a substantial amount, no matter how you look at it. It would be a more optimistic signing, and selfishly, I want it to happen, even if that means trading Cronenworth.
Suárez would instantly solve the power issue in the lineup. Manny Machado led the team with 27 home runs, and Suárez’s 49 blows that out of the water. His .824 OPS would have led the team as well.
Machado and Song are the most likely candidates to take reps at third base, leaving Suárez to DH, which would serve him well. He went from being an above-average defender in terms of Outs Above Average, with 3 in 2024, to -6 in 2025. So even if he were a liability on defense, it’s his bat you are paying for.
So please, Preller, do whatever it takes to bring Suárez to San Diego.
Luis Arráez
Once again, I find myself talking about the league’s most puzzling player. And I still have no idea how a team is supposed to value someone like him. That said, I wouldn’t be opposed to Preller bringing him back on a team-friendly deal.
I’ve always said, when evaluating Luis Arráez, there is value in batting average and simply putting the ball in play. But if he were to be re-signed, it would have to be on a prove-it deal, especially given his drop in production.
A deal like that could benefit both parties. There’s a world where Arráez rebounds after a down year, especially if a full offseason gives him time to heal and make adjustments to recapture some of his lost bat speed.
Strong production on a short-term deal would position him to re-enter free agency and secure a larger payday. From the Padres’ perspective, they’d be getting a player who still has the ceiling of a batting-title winner in their lineup.
Miguel Andujar
The best way to describe Miguel Andujar is as a blend of Suárez and Arráez. Let me explain.
Like Suárez, Andujar brings more pop to the lineup, slugging 10 home runs with a respectable .824 OPS in just 94 games. But where the comparison highlights his versatility is in his contact ability. Andújar sits in the upper echelon of hitters when it comes to putting the bat on the ball, ranking in the 86th percentile in whiff rate and the 87th percentile in strikeout rate.
His positional versatility would be advantageous for new manager Craig Stammen. He has played third base, left field, first base, right field and DH. He would be an elite platoon option alongside Gavin Sheets after slashing .389/.409/.578 against lefties last season.
Yoán Moncada
If Preller is comfortable with how the roster looks at the moment, bench depth is an area that still needs to be addressed. Currently, the Padres’ bench appears to be Will Wagner, Mason McCoy, Luis Campusano, and Bryce Johnson. That group doesn’t exactly inspire much confidence.
It would be far more moving if Yoán Moncada were the first bat off the bench. While he’s clearly fallen short of his prospect hype, Moncada can still be a productive player in the right role. Most realistically, he’d spell Machado, Cronenworth, or Song on a day off or serve as the first option off the bench in pinch-hit spots.
The floor alone makes it appealing. Having someone coming off a season with a 117 wRC+ available in a bench role would be a luxury compared to the current options. And there’s always the chance Moncada finds a late-career bounce back, similar to what Sheets provided last season.
Walker Buehler
Right-hander Walker Buehler is looking for a home, and the Padres could certainly use his services. I refuse to give up on somebody who has had Cy Young stuff in the past after one bad year coming off of surgery.
I understand that the surface numbers aren’t pretty and neither are the underlying metrics, but I am going to chalk that up to missing nearly two full years of baseball and then completely changing your mix in your first full season back.
An offseason to regain velocity would allow Buehler to dominate the zone with his fastball and allowing all of his other pitches to play off of it. Leaning on the cutter, sweeper, and curveball as his other main offerings. Or he doesn’t regain his dominant velocity and will have to get outs mixing his six different pitches, which pitching coach Ruben Niebla and team captain Jose Musgrove can aid him with.
Not to be forgotten, this guy gets it done in the postseason. A 3.04 ERA with 119 strikeouts on the big stage does mean something, especially for a Padres team that is trying to make it back to its first World Series since 1998.
Final Thoughts
As it stands right now, the roster is strong but lacks depth. I believe Preller is only halfway through building this thing out. As mentioned earlier, payroll has to be shed in order for additional moves to be made.
Between Cronenworth and Pivetta, I’d prefer Cronenworth to be the one moved, given how quickly the infield could become crowded. That said, if dealing Pivetta could bring back a young, controllable arm, I’d be on board with that as well.
At the end of the day, Padres fans will have to trust Preller to make the right calls and put a World Series–caliber product on the field. And the direction this team is heading in is undeniably promising.
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Ethan is an aspiring sports analyst who has a passion for all sports. He was a collegiate baseball player and is now finishing up his schooling…