The San Diego Padres have been one of the best teams in baseball over the last five seasons, making the playoffs three times with the ninth-most wins (380) since the 2020 season. However, competing comes at a cost and it’s raising significant concerns around MLB about the Padres’ long-term outlook.
Under president of baseball operations A.J. Preller, the Padres have been one of the most aggressive and active clubs in MLB each year. From signing Manny Machado to two lucrative contract extensions to splash moves for Dylan Cease, Xander Bogaerts, Luis Arraez and Yu Darvish, the Padres front office is well-known for its aggressiveness.
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- San Diego Padres payroll 2025 (FanGraphs): $210 million
However, all of this comes at the cost of both money and many of the Padres top prospects. It’s part of the reason San Diego took out a $50 million loan, per The Athletic, and reportedly experienced more than $100 million in losses. Now, there are long-term questions about the franchise.
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Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported on why the 2025 MLB season is likely to be a desperate year for everyone inside the organization.
It starts with lingering raises for some of their best players at a time when the team already has one of the highest MLB payrolls. Making matters even worse, starting pitchers Dylan Cease and Michael King are free agents next year and fellow starter Joe Musgrove will miss the 2025 season following Tommy John surgery.
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The Padres’ situation is even catching the attention of those inside baseball. Many believe the Padres badly need to go on a deep postseason run in 2025, in large part due to the influx of revenue. It’s especially important because the contracts given to Machado and Bogaerts are going to age poorly and cost the franchise long-term.
“That’s scary to think about. They’ve got some big-time financial commitments. That could get real ugly.”
Anonymous MLB executive on the San Diego Padres’ long-term outlook and financial concerns
That’s why San Diego is expected to once again be aggressive this offseason, making a last-ditch effort to win the World Series. If the Padres fall short, though, the ramifications will go far beyond Preller being fired and several other key members of the organization either being let go or traded.
