3 Padres players who should have a reduced role in 2025, if they're not traded first

The San Diego Padres have a lot of work to do if they want to catch up to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Though they finished just five games back in the division in 2024, the Dodgers have made a handful of moves to strengthen the roster ahead of next year. Unfortunately, the Padres are still mired in payroll trouble, in large part thanks to Diamond Sports Group going bankrupt and leaving the Friars high and dry in terms of local TV revenue.

Though the Pads won't be competing against the Dodgers for top free agent contracts, there are still a number of areas within the roster that need to be addressed ahead of the spring. On top of that, recent rumors have made it clear that the San Diego brass is considering trading Dylan Cease, which would be a major problem in its own right.

Cease is just one year away from free agency and while it looks like the Padres won't be able to extend him, and likely won't re-sign him next winter either, trading him now would create a massive hole in the rotation.

The team is already down righty Joe Musgrove, who will be out for the entire 2025 season thanks to Tommy John surgery that took place in early October. And with Yu Darvish quietly entering the twilight of his career, if Cease gets moved it'll place a massive burden on the shoulders of Michael King, who'll at that point be tasked with carrying the entire Padres rotation next year.

Despite all that, the Padres do have a number of strong prospects who should be knocking on the door in 2025. They likely won't be top of the rotation types to take over for Cease, but there are a handful of guys on San Diego's major league roster whose jobs ought to be up for grabs. The Padres need all the help they can get next year, and if there are more than a few guys in the majors failing to produce, this team won't stand a chance against the troublesome Dodgers in the division race.

With that said, there are at least three players who should see reduced time to begin the season in 2025. Unfortunately for the Padres, that list starts in an already weakened rotation.