CHICAGO — The Padres went for it in 2025. They went for it hard.
On one of the most frenzied days of transactions in MLB history, they swung five trades involving 22 players in the hours leading up to the July 31 Trade Deadline. They felt they’d built a team capable of playing deep into October.
Which only made Thursday sting even more. At the end of a tight, tense series at Wrigley Field, the Padres were eliminated with a gut-punch of a 3-1 loss. The Cubs are headed to the National League Division Series. The Padres are facing an offseason’s worth of questions.
“I have not been waiting for this moment,” said a sullen Luis Arraez. “I know it’s my last year here. I’ll be a free agent. But, hey, this team’s special.”
Arraez, of course, represents one of a handful of Padres slated to become free agents. That list includes Dylan Cease and Deadline acquisition Ryan O’Hearn. Soon enough, it could include Robert Suarez and Michael King. Both have options in their contracts.
“Those are guys that we’ve been with together for a long time,” said Manny Machado. “It was an honor to put on the same uniform as them. Hopefully, they put it on again next year with the Padres.”
Make no mistake about the 2025 Trade Deadline: It helped set the Padres up beyond this season in a number of ways. Mason Miller owned the postseason stage — and is on board for four more seasons. Freddy Fermin, who was probably the Padres’ best offensive player in the Wild Card Series, looks ready to take the reins as the No. 1 backstop.
In the meantime, the loss of Ramón Laureano to a fractured right index finger, proved incredibly costly, given the left/right imbalance in the Padres lineup this week. Laureano, with a $6.5 million team option, should be the starting left fielder in San Diego next year.
The Padres will be reaping the rewards from those trades into the 2026 season and beyond. But only if they can piece their roster puzzle together again.
To a man, all of the Padres’ impending free agents spoke glowingly of their time in San Diego. To a man, all of them asked for time to process the disappointment of their elimination before they could make any decisions.
“I’ll let it digest for a little bit,” King said. “Then I’m sure it’s a conversation I’ll have with my family and my agent. I don’t even know. These guys have all been incredible the last couple years. … [General manager A.J.] Preller knows how to put together a team. We had everybody going for one goal, all pulling for each other. It was really fun to be a part of these last two years.”
King and the Padres have a $15 million mutual option for next season, with a $3.75 million buyout. Suarez, meanwhile, has player options for $8 million over the next two seasons.
The Padres would probably be happy to have both back at those prices. It seems likelier that both would hit the open market — King as one of the top available starting pitchers and Suarez as one of the top closers.
In free agency, quality pitching is hard to find. Both fit that description. Of the potential free agents, Suarez is the longest tenured Padre, having finished his fourth season with the club.
“I’ve got to think about all of those decisions I’m going to make,” Suarez said through interpreter Jorge Merlos. “And then we’ll move forward once I do. … I’m always going to be grateful for this organization. They gave me the opportunity to play here, be in the Major Leagues. I’m very grateful for them. Always will be.”
If Suarez were to decline his option, it seems highly unlikely he would be back with the Padres, given the bullpen they’ve built. Miller could take over as closer. If Miller were to be moved into a starting role — a rumor that hasn’t yet become an internal conversation, but might become one this offseason — Adrian Morejon could take over. Jason Adam and Jeremiah Estrada will be back. The Padres are not short on depth bullpen arms, either.
The biggest question going into the offseason — by a mile — is their starting rotation. With King and Cease potentially set to depart, the Padres are thin.
“I love San Diego a lot,” Cease said. “I really haven’t thought too much about [free agency]. It’s a special organization. I think it’s the most unique setup. You have an entire city — and it’s a big city — and it’s just a baseball city. The fans treat us extremely well. We sell out every game. It’s been a really, really cool experience.”
An experience that might have ended a few weeks too soon.
“It sucks,” Cease said. “Obviously, [saying] goodbye to everybody, investing so much time into this season and having it end abruptly like this.”
