San Diego Padres: Payroll update after recent transactions

After a flurry of moves from the San Diego Padres, we look at the updated payroll for the 2020 season and what could be left.

There was speculation that the San Diego Padres were going to up the payroll for 2020, but after recent moves, it’s hard to believe there is much room left.

Before Thanksgiving, the Padres made a big trade with the Brewers where they took on about $5 million — depending on what Zach Davies makes in arbitration. They also agreed — for some reason I still can’t’ understand — to send money or a player to be named later to Milwaukee in that deal.

And then they signed reliever Drew Pomeranz to a 4-year, $34 million deal adding another $6 million to the 2020 payroll.

They already have $93.75 million in guranteed contracts for the 2020 season. And then they’re projected to pay out another $26 million to their arbitration-eligible players in 2020.

That’s nearly $120 million already on payroll for next season, and when you include another $10 million for pre-arbitration players the payroll for 2020 currently sits at around $130 million.

Only twice have they had an Opening Day payroll over $100 million, and the highest total ever was $126 million in 2015, according to The Baseball Cube.

Some think the Padres could push the payroll to $140 million in 2020, but that still would leave just $10 million left to fill the remaining holes.

With thoughts and desires of upgrading the outfield and starting pitching through free agency this offseason, that almost seems impossible at this point.

That’s why I think if the Padres are going to make any impact moves this offseason it’s going to be for a young, cheap, and controllable player in a trade.

There is also the chance/hope that the Padres are able to free up some money for 2020 by trading away Wil Myer’s and his terrible contract.

But even if they can find a trade partner for him, it’s not likely they find someone to take on all of the $22.5 million he’s owed in each of the next three seasons.

That’s why the moves before Thanksgiving were so head-scratching. They added $10 million to the 2020 payroll and really didn’t make any significant upgrades in areas of need.

It really leaves us fans in a state of confusion as to what A.J. Preller could be thinking and what his gameplan is for the rest of the offseason.