AJ Preller Reveals What Padres Are Targeting After Juan Soto Trade

San Diego has a ton of work to do now after the Soto trade.

After trading away star outfielder Juan Soto, the San Diego Padres now have some direction within their offseason. Losing Soto isn’t easy but the front office now has spending flexibility on the open market.

The team has been trying to cut salary all offseason, and with the Soto trade, they opened themselves up much more. Soto was expected to receive over $30 million next season in arbitration, and now the Padres can use that toward improving the roster in mulitple places.

Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller provided some insight into what comes next for the Friars. He specifically spoke about the team adding another reliever, preferably one that could pitch in the late innings of games.

Preller said he'd like to add at least one reliever who can pitch in the 8th or 9th inning.

The Soto trade affords him the financial flexibility to do so. @MLBNetwork

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 7, 2023

This shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone, especially given the fact that the team is expected to lose closer Josh Hader in free agency. They have to replace his production in some capacity, so getting another arm to bolster the bullpen is a good idea.

Right-hander Robert Stephenson could be someone that the front office targets, but his market is expected to be robust. Last season while splitting time between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays, Stephenson posted a combined ERA of 3.10 over 60 appearances. 

He was much better while on the Rays, possibly giving him the chance to land a multi-year deal.

Another name that could make sense for the Padres is left-hander Aroldis Chapman. Chapman is coming off helping the Texas Rangers win the World Series, and he could essentially replace Hader in the closer role.

Splitting time between the Rangers and Kansas City Royals, Chapman posted a combined ERA of 3.09 in 61 games. He also recorded six saves along the way.  

No matter who the Padres' front office brings in this offseason, they have some work to do. They want to remain competitive for 2024, but the finances may make things a little tricky.