Because the Padres look to retool their roster forward of the 2025 season, Dennis Lin of The Athletic experiences that the membership has entertained commerce curiosity in each gamers that would attain free company subsequent winter and gamers underneath longer-term workforce management. Specifically, Lin notes that the membership has acquired curiosity in right-handers Dylan Stop and Robert Suarez in addition to infielders Luis Arráez and Jake Cronenworth. It’s unclear whether or not or not the membership is engaged in lively negotiations concerning any of these gamers as issues stand.
Stop and Arraez have each seen their names within the rumor mill ceaselessly this winter, however Suarez and Cronenworth have been far much less ceaselessly mentioned thus far. In reality, Lin himself steered in early December that the Padres have been inclined to maintain Suarez at that time within the offseason. That the membership has subsequently begun to entertain curiosity within the nearer’s providers is actually value noting. On the time, Lin relayed that Suarez’s commerce worth was difficult by the presence of an opt-out clause in his contract that might permit him to go to free company after the 2025 season fairly than obtain $8MM salaries in 2026 and ’27.
Maybe because the reduction market has begun to develop, rival golf equipment have modified their analysis of Suarez. With righty Jeff Hoffman touchdown a $33MM take care of the Blue Jays, veteran set-up man Andrew Kittredge securing a $10MM assure from the Orioles, and a few experiences suggesting nearer Tanner Scott may land an AAV within the $20MM vary this winter, it’s actually possible that the opportunity of being on the hook for $26MM over three years if Suarez opts in has develop into extra palatable. In spite of everything, Suarez’s 2.77 ERA in 65 innings because the Padres nearer positions him as one of many higher reduction arms within the recreation and compares fairly properly with Kittredge particularly. With that being mentioned, it’s additionally attainable that the Padres have develop into extra motivated to clear wage because the offseason has continued and are open to dealing Suarez even when the return is lighter than they might have accepted a month in the past.
As for Cronenworth, it’s considerably troublesome to think about the membership getting a significant return for his providers past wage reduction. He was a wonderfully serviceable infield possibility for San Diego in 2024, hitting a roughly league common .241/.324/.390 in 656 journeys to the plate whereas splitting time between first and second base. That was sufficient to make Cronenworth roughly a two-win participant in response to each Fangraphs and Baseball Reference final 12 months, a notable step up from 2023 however nonetheless properly under the numbers he posted throughout his back-to-back All-Star campaigns in 2021 and 2022. With simply over $72.7MM left on Cronenworth’s contract to be paid out over his age 31 to 36 seasons, the versatile infielder appears unlikely to be moved with out the Padres consuming important wage or taking up one other dangerous contract in return.
Apparently, Lin means that the Padres would favor to maintain “at the least” Arraez within the fold for 2025 out of these 4 names. That’s one thing of a shock given Arraez’s hefty $14MM wage in his remaining 12 months underneath workforce management and the truth that changing him at first base may certainly be performed for less expensive, thereby opening up payroll area to improve different areas. Even Lin acknowledges that Arraez’s expensive remaining 12 months underneath contract may very well be an impediment for San Diego as they give the impression of being to retool their roster. With that being mentioned, it’s attainable that the marketplace for Arraez hasn’t been particularly strong. Few groups have been straight related to the infielder this winter, and one rumored suitor was seemingly taken off the desk when experiences pushed again on the concept the Yankees may have curiosity in buying Arraez to play second base for them in 2025.
Nonetheless the membership finally decides to go about shifting wage, it appears all however sure they’ll have to make a commerce or two earlier than the season begins. RosterResource tasks the membership for a luxurious tax payroll of just below $243MM in 2025, placing them about $2MM over the primary threshold, with an precise payroll of simply over $208MM. The membership certainly desires to duck underneath that first luxurious tax threshold this winter, and former experiences have indicated that they need their remaining payroll to clock in under its present stage whereas not essentially dropping all the best way again right down to final 12 months’s $169MM payroll. With clear wants within the outfield and rotation, it’s exhausting to think about the Padres reaching all of their offseason targets with out shifting at the least one participant due a big wage in 2025, if no more.
