The offseason hadn't even begun when rumors began swirling of discontent between San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller and manager Bob Melvin. Padres chairman Peter Seidler released a statement Tuesday fully supportive of the pair.
But, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, anything could happen if they can not work out their differences.
But, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the pair have told friends and associates that they can not co-exist in 2024. The Padres have one of the most talented rosters in baseball and couldn't make the playoffs — ending the season 82-80, third place in the highly competitive NL West. Given the circumstances, Melvin could be on his way out — possibly to head back to the Bay Area with the San Fransisco Giants job opening. Preller could promote bench coach Ryan Flaherty or coach Mike Shildt.
Preller will also be deciding how to move forward with Juan Soto and the Padres will likely offer him a contract extension. They must trade him if they cannot make that extension happen, which could prove extremely costly.
So, while the Padres already have a couple of items on their to-do list for the offseason, let's discuss the players who will not return in 2024.
Scott Barlow will not be back with San Diego Padres in 2024
Barlow was traded to the Padres by the Kansas City Royals at the trade deadline for two minor leaguers. Barlow was 0-2 in 25 games with the Padres. In 29.1 innings, he compiled a 3.07 ERA. He gave up 12 walks and 10 earned runs while striking out 32 batters.
The Royals used Barlow much differently. Barlow had 13 saves while he was with the Royals. He struck out 47 batters while finishing 31 games for Kansas City.
Barlow has one year of arbitration available before he becomes a free agent in 2025. It will be curious to see how the Padres move forward with Barlow. He was used entirely differently from his time in KC after he was traded. Would San Diego keep him around as another late-innings reliever, and allow him to finish games?
Considering their circumstances, it seems likely the Padres will move in a different direction with Barlow and use him in trade considerations.
Blake Snell will not be back with San Diego Padres in 2024
With Scott Boras at his side, Snell is expected to have a big payday in free agency this offseason.
Snell was traded to the Padres in 2020 after his frustrating final days with the Tampa Bay Rays. He'd signed a pre-arbitration extension with the Rays with five years and $50 million. Snell earned $16.6 million in his final contract year.
Snell is likely to be a hot commodity in free agency. In 32 games started for the Padres in 2023, he was 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA. He had 180 innings pitched and struck out 234 batters. He is a lefty who can throw strikes. He had a 27.9-percent chase rate this season. This is a little bit below league average. But, with several teams having pitching at the top of their needs list this offseason, he's likely to earn a lucrative deal.
Josh Hader will not be back with San Diego Padres in 2024
According to reporting from the San Diego Union-Tribune, the possible overuse of Hader was one of the areas of contention between Melvin and Preller. The two were never on the same page about how to use the closer.
Hader ultimately being firm about being overused and wanting to be available for crucial performances down the stretch stems from his time with the Brewers. Melvin defended his closer to the media, noting his usage was just how things were going to be done. The Union-Tribune reported, "Hader was arguably overused by the Brewers ... Hader had that workload used against him in arbitration. So it is understandable he felt forced to put his foot down regarding his usage."
It seems this was frustrating for Hader, and understandably, he wanted to protect himself going into free agency. It will be interesting to see if this factors into what should be a lucrative long-term deal for the closer.
Hader was 2-3 with 33 saves and a 1.28 ERA. He pitched in 61 games, finishing 52. He threw 85 strikeouts over 56.1 innings. Hader had a 33.6-percent chase rate. The lefty is a feared pitcher to face in late innings. Several teams are looking to get that critical piece to close out games, which makes Hader a massive option for teams going into free agency. He should get a nice payday for his talents.
