Padres News: Offer to Jung Hoo Lee 'Competitive' But Not Close To Giants

The Padres have a lot of work to do for the rest of this winter.

Entering the offseason, the San Diego Padres had one goal in mind, and that was to cut salary from their books. After years of what seemed like limitless spending, their years spent acquiring star players have passed without a World Series championship.

The team has made one National League Championship Series appearance with its current core. Now, the front office recognizes its need to scale back. The Padres still want to remain competitive, but doing so while also understanding the implications of their spending habits.

They reluctantly traded away star outfielder Juan Soto to the New York Yankees and missed out on their big free-agent target Jung Hoo Lee. He signed a 6-year, $113 million deal with the San Francisco Giants, a number the Padres weren't comfortable going to. 

Dennis Lin of The Athletic is reporting that San Diego's offer to Lee was competitive, but not close to the Giants. 

"The Padres’ offers to the Korean standout were deemed competitive but not especially close to San Francisco’s winning proposal, league sources told

The Athletic

. The gap fit a pattern that has emerged amid a winter of apparent restraint"

Per Dennis Lin of The Athletic

Losing Lee to the NL West rival Giants does sting, but it's a reality the Padres find themselves in this winter. This has become a common occurrence this off-season and is the result of the teams' reckless spending over the last few seasons. 

Their mindset to shed payroll this winter has caused them to miss on multiple talented players. They've seen a few of their starting pitchers from the 2023 staff leave for better offers.

The Padres hope they can land some unsigned free agents as the start of the season approaches. It's a juncture of the season when some players grow desperate for the "right deal," and might be forced to accept less money than their initial target.

This is where the Padres are at the moment. Their path back to the postseason will not be paved with stars like Lee.