Padres Expected to Have Top Payroll in MLB Next Season Despite Quiet Offseason
![Oct 11, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) and San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) react in the dugout before game five against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Oct 11, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) and San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) react in the dugout before game five against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_6218,h_3497,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_padres/01jjja4vg87m3c8hyrej.jpg)
The San Diego Padres have had a miserable offseason.
Watching the Los Angeles Dodgers sign whoever they want at whatever price combined with the drama in the front office has caused the fanbase to hit the panic button.
Jurickson Profar added to the panic when he opted to sign with the Atlanta Braves after he insisted on returning to the Padres, citing the front office as a big reason for the change of heart.
“Obviously the Padres have some issue with the ownership and all that,” Profar said in a video call with reporters following his signing with the Atlanta Braves. “It was difficult to go back (to San Diego).”
However, there might not be cause for panic after all. The Padres are still considered to be in the top 10 when it comes to payroll despite having a relatively quiet offseason.
Do they have holes to fill? Sure, but it is only January and president of baseball operations A.J. Preller always seems to shock the world late in the offseason
More news: Padres Linked to $7M Former Top Prospect Pitcher in Free Agency
Remember what happened when spring training began last year?
The Padres did not have a left fielder or a center fielder. Dylan Cease was on the White Sox. Luis Arraez was on the Marlins.
By the end of the season, with a payroll reduced by about $100 million compared to the previous year, the Padres secured 93 wins and reached the second round of the playoffs, where they were eliminated by the eventual World Series champions.
Now, they plan to maintain their payroll and make another push, bringing back much of the same core from last year’s roster.
This year has started similarly to the last. The Padres need a starting left fielder. They also need a first baseman or a designated hitter, another catcher, and at least one more starting pitcher.
However, in order to make everything worth it, the players with the highest salary will have to perform.
If Xander Bogaerts ($25 million this season, $225 million through 2033) and Jake Cronenworth ($11 million this season, more than $72 million over the next six years) can deliver the kind of performances the Padres anticipated when they signed them to these hefty contracts, the team's current financial constraints will feel less concerning.
The same holds for Manny Machado, who is owed $13 million this season and $314 million over the next nine years.
Additionally, if Yu Darvish, who is set to earn $21 million this season and $67 million over the next four years, can continue pitching like he did in the final month of last season, the Padres will be in a better position, even with a pitcher approaching 40.