Padres Looking to Next Winter To Address Starting Pitching Plans

San Diego is playing the long game here

This winter has been a tough one so far for the San Diego Padres, but they remain optimistic about their 2024 chances. The team reluctantly traded away star outfielder Juan Soto to the New York Yankees, and they have seen multiple members of their 2023 starting rotation leave.

Entering the off-season, the Padres planned to shed salary off their payroll after multiple years of heavy spending. That helps explain the subtractions from their roster, at the cost of proven talent.

The front office is trying to play the long game here. Going all-in over the previous few seasons has caused problems. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported in September that the team's spending has outpaced its revenue, and it must shed salary in order to comply with MLB's debt-service rule.

The Padres acquired multiple young pitchers in the Soto trade, but still need some help within their rotation. According to Dennis Lin of the Athletic, the team may be looking ahead to next off-season to address starting pitching.

"(T)he Padres might prefer to be more aggressive in the free-agent market next winter, when available pitchers could include Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Walker Buehler, Shane Bieber and Justin Verlander. All of these players are likely to decline potential qualifying offers, perhaps adding to the incentives to stay under the luxury tax threshold in 2024"

Per Dennis Lin of The Athletic

Compared to this winter, there are likely to be some dominant starters available on the open market next off-season. This is when the Padres could strike. If they can reset payroll under the luxury tax this off-season, they could be bold again next winter.

Corbin Burnes and Max Fried will be the top big names on the starting pitching market, with the Padres looking to make a splash. Either one would greatly help the San Diego rotation, so using this off-season to save money makes some sense. 

Since they want to remain competitive this season, the front office will need to get creative. They owe it to their loyal fan base to put their best foot forward, even if it means taking a slight step back for one season.