Padres Have Already Had Contract Talks With One Key Free Agent

Maren Angus-Coombs | Nov 8, 2024

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres kicked things off with a major move: a managerial extension. While expected due to Mike Shildt’s strong first season and the fact that he was entering the final year of his contract, it set the tone for the offseason.

General manager A.J. Preller announced the news via a Zoom call from the General Managers Meetings in San Antonio on Wednesday.

"This," Preller said, "is kind of the start of the offseason."

Next on the list, after the team re-signed pitching coach Ruben Niebla, is negotiating with left fielder Jurickson Profar. The Padres and Profar’s agent talked this week but did not discuss money, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Profar officially entered free agency on Monday after the Padres opted not to extend a qualifying offer to him or Ha-Seong Kim. On Wednesday, Preller discussed these decisions publicly for the first time.

"I've already extended out the start of those conversations," Preller said. "But he's somebody that's earned the right to be a free agent, so we'll kind of see where that takes us."

While Preller says Profar has earned "the right to be a free agent," he hasn't been too successful outside of San Diego. That is why a reunion with them seems the most logical compared to the other free-agent Padres.

Several projections estimate that Profar could earn between $12 and $16 million annually on a three-year contract after his best season yet. That price range is likely higher than what the Padres are prepared to offer. However, if the market doesn’t meet those expectations, some league insiders suggest that the strong mutual interest between Profar and the Padres might pave the way for a reunion on a more modest contract.

Profar expressed a desire to stay in San Diego roughly a month ago when the team the team was eliminated from the National League Division Series.

"I'm a free agent now," Profar said, amid the sting of the Padres' exit in the National League Division Series. "But I want to be here. This team, I think they have all the things to win a World Series. Mike Shildt built a beautiful thing here. Hopefully, I'm part of it."

The Profar-Padres pairing has been an ideal fit for years. Over parts of five seasons with San Diego, he has posted a .753 OPS. In 2024, he reached a career-high OPS of .839.