The San Diego Padres are finishing up one of the most disappointing seasons in baseball history, and will enter the offseason with a plethora of questions.
The San Diego Padres entered the 2023 season with World Series aspirations, and rightfully so. A roster that already included Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and other stars now had a full season of Juan Soto and Josh Hader. They also signed star shortstop Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million contract.
Not only did the Padres not make the World Series, they failed to make the postseason altogether. They are currently 77-79 and in third place in the National League West. They made a late playoff push, going 9-1 in their last 10 games, but that push came up short.
It capped off what was arguably the most disappointing season in Major League Baseball history. Now, the Padres enter the offseason with big questions, ranging from the front office to manager Bob Melvin to the roster.
Here are the most pressing questions that the Padres must answer this offseason.
Padres offseason plans: Determining the status of A.J. Preller, Bob Melvin
The San Diego Padres are expected to retain general manager A.J. Preller. While he is the person who is ultimately responsible for constructing the roster, team chairman Peter Seidler believes in Preller. He believes that he can, and will, get the roster back into World Series contention. And he is expected to get another shot in 2024.
Bob Melvin, however, has a much more uncertain future. There is an expectation in league circles that Melvin is unlikely to return to San Diego in 2024 as his relationship with Preller has deteriorated.
How the Padres would replace Melvin is unclear. What Melvin would do in 2024 and beyond is also unclear, but it is worth noting that he is very close with Craig Counsell, who worked alongside David Stearns in Milwaukee. With Stearns now with the Mets, and the future of Buck Showalter unclear, could the Mets once again look at Melvin to fill their managerial opening?
Padres offseason plans: Retain one of Blake Snell or Josh Hader
The Padres surrendered significant assets to acquire both Snell and Hader in trades, but it was Hader that Preller had long coveted. He attempted to trade for Hader in three separate seasons, ultimately acquiring him from the Brewers in the summer of 2022.
Now, with the team's payroll inflated, it's likely that the Padres will only be able to afford one of the players as Snell seems bound for a contract north of $150 million and Hader likely to break Edwin Diaz's record-setting contract for a closer.
The Padres can't be ruled out of anything, not with Preller's unpredictability and Seidler's deep pockets. But retaining Hader on a record-setting contract, especially when the team already has high-priced relievers already on the roster, could prove difficult.
Which may mean that the team could prioritize Snell in free agency, though considering that he is represented by Scott Boras, he will require top-dollar whether it be in San Diego or a different team.
Padres offseason plans: Do the Padres explore a Juan Soto trade?
One of the criticisms that the Los Angeles Angels received was not trading Shohei Ohtani at the 2022 or 2023 trade deadlines when they could have received a record-setting haul.
The Padres now face a similar decision with Soto. While they won't receive a haul similar to what they gave up to the Washington Nationals last year, Soto is a generational player who is under contract for the 2024 season. They can get a sizable haul in return for him and avoid losing him for nothing in free agency, where he is expected to receive a contract north of $400 million.
But parting with players of Soto's caliber is not something that Preller or Seidler do, and they would have to worry about the message it would send to their star players and the remainder of the roster. Which is why a Soto trade this offseason should be considered unlikely. But if the Padres find themselves underperforming again in 2024, a midseason trade should not be ruled out.
