3 Padres Storylines to Watch for the 2023-2024 Offseason

Keep an eye out for these things this winter!

The 2023 season for the San Diego Padres was one of the more disappointing in recent memory, and it saw them fail to qualify for the postseason. The team could never put anything together until the final few weeks of the season, and by then it was too late for them.

Now heading into the offseason, the Friars have some big questions to answer. They want to put themselves back into a position to make the playoffs, so this offseason will be key in doing just that.

With this crucial offseason for the Padres, there are a few things to watch out for. Each of these will play an important role in how the Padres fare in 2024 and beyond.

1. Shedding salary on their payroll

The Friars went all in this past year, and that meant spending a ton of money in the offseason on the roster. Now everything is signaling that San Diego will try to cut their payroll this offseason to give them added flexibility down the line.

They put their chips in, and it backfired, so the philosophy of the team needs to change. The Padres have multiple players locked into long-term contracts, so the core is in place. But they also need to start shedding salary, so they aren’t a repeat tax offender moving forward as well.

This decision to cut payroll will likely see them lose both starting pitcher Blake Snell and closer Josh Hader in free agency. They also will have to make some decisions on a few club options they have, where they could bring a player back or let them go, and then try to resign them on a more team-friendly deal. If they want to be successful going forward, this offseason will need to see them take a major step back in terms of spending.

2. What happens with star outfielder Juan Soto?

The future of Juan Soto has been heavily talked about over the last few months, especially given where the Padres were in the standings all year. While he is still one of the better players in the game today, he is entering his final season on his current contract, and he will demand a hefty amount of money after this year.

The Padres haven’t shown a strong willingness to pay him what it will take for him to stay in San Diego, so it would make sense for them to trade him this winter. His value diminishes each day the Friars don’t move him, so the team would be better off moving him this offseason rather than at the deadline next year.

They could replenish some of the prospects in their farm system with a Soto trade, and it would also help things in regards to shedding salary. They would be killing two birds with one stone if you will. 

3. Building Their Starting Rotation for 2024

With the team likely expected to lose Snell this winter, it leaves a massive gap in their rotation. They have veteran Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove on the books for next season, but both finished the 2023 season injured. 

After that, their rotation looks a little scarce, and this offseason will see them trying to build it out. The team needs to get someone to replace Snell in the rotation, They need a frontline ace to lead this team, otherwise, they won't have a chance to reach their goals.

Since they are trying to shed salary, trading for a starter could be the way to go about things. Someone like Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers makes sense for this team as he is entering his final year of arbitration. 

Another player that could work is Dyan Cease from the Chicago White Sox. He still has two years of arbitration left on his deal, so the Padres could use that to their advantage.