When you look at the landscape of the National League, one of the most competitive teams is the San Diego Padres. This is a team that has been able to give the Dodgers a run for their money and actually put a playoff caliber team on the diamond. This team and organization had a large playoff gap, as they reached the postseason for the first time since 2006 in 2020. Since 2020, the Padres have reached the division series every year, ultimately losing to the Dodgers twice. However, they did stun the Dodgers in 2022 and reached the NLCS. They have yet to win the World Series let alone reach it and that despite being aggressive with their team building.

Which this now leads to the big topic of discussion regarding the San Diego Padres. This roster is built to compete and has the pieces in place. Yes, former owner Peter Seidler went on a spending spree to help lure a championship back to San Diego. Seidler unfortunately is no longer with us on this Earth, and Sheel Seidler has filed a lawsuit against the two brothers- in-law seeking to become the controller of the franchise. The core of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Xander Bogaerts highlight the team big financial commitments. With them still in the fold and them not signing a single player this winter, what are the Padres doing and how is their method of operating catching up to them?

Handcuffed Financially

Seidler had a goal in mind and that was to bring a championship to San Diego. The Padres may not have operated much like big market teams, such as the Yankees and the Dodgers. But in recent memory, he made numerous financial commitments to ensure that the band stays together. The first big movie the Padres made was bring Machado into the fold after he was initially acquired by the Dodgers in 2018. He originally signed a ten year, $300 million contract, but then opted out and signed a new deal with the team in 2023. The club also extended their young star in Tatis Jr, gave Bogaerts an albatross $280 million over 11 years, while along locking up Darvish, Musgrove, and Cronnenworth. Together, they all make roughly $129 million per season. This has now crippled the club financially and has allowed them to see certain players walk away from the franchise. With the late owner passing away, the club is at a financial standstill. While the spending money is not a big deal, all good teams do that. Their asset management for trades have been an issue and that method of operation is catching up to them.

The Trade Tree

It is not so much that the Padres are making the trades, it’s more how they are operating with these trades. There is nothing wrong with adding to your club, but when you are not going to commit money to players, having ones under team control is super valuable. The Padres have gone all in towards competing and winning a championship. With that being said, they’ve dipped into their farm system and have acquired legitimate talent. The price was maybe worth it at the time, but with not wanting to go the extra mile and pay the talent, it doesn’t seem worth it.

The Padres made the big splash by acquiring Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals. They sent over CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, and James Wood to name a few. At the time they said the deal would be worth it cause they’d have him for three playoff runs, which great for them. But Abrams, Wood, and Gore have turned into legitimate foundational pieces for the Nationals. Well, the Padres flipped Soto to the Yankees for a massive haul, which now leads us to what’s been more puzzling for the franchise.

After the Padres acquired Soto, they flipped those pieces over to the White Sox to land Dylan Cease. The Padres needed to bolster the rotation and they certainly got it with Cease. Cease was phenomenal for the Padres in his first season, finishing with a 3.47 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. He had a great whiff rate and a phenomenal strikeout percentage. However, the Padres are looking to trade him. That’s not all folks. THERES MORE!

So when the Padres sent Soto to the Bronx, one of the pieces they did hang onto was Michael King. King was a phenomenal pitcher in the Bronx and was even better in San Diego. He finished with a 2.95 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. When Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove missed time, King was relied on and he delivered. However, like Cease, the Padres are also looking to trade King.

This is a poor way to operate. Now Cease is a free agent after the upcoming season and is likely going to get a significant raise. King is also a free agent after the 2025 season. The prospects that were landed in the Soto trade were used to acquire Cease and after one year you want to cut bait? King was a nice prize, but cutting bait sounds silly. To operate this way is not sustainable. And all signs point back towards the top.

All Roads Lead to the Office

All roads lead to the office. The Padres have operated under a system that has allowed them to spend big money on high profile free agents and also swing big trades in order to try and win a championship. The championship hasn’t been won and the team depleting the farm system to land players only to flip them a year later isn’t sustainable.

With Cease and King being free agents, it appears that no more big money deals will be given out. A trade in that regard makes sense. Because until the ownership group gets its ducks in a row, it’s going to be very difficult to pay anyone. After seeing Tanner Scott AND Roki Sasaki sign with the Dodgers, the Padres will sit wondering what’s going to come next.

This is a team that’s built to compete and even win and now we’re scratching our heads thinking “what are they even doing?”.