All 10 Padres free agents ranked from must-keep priority to easy goodbye

The Padres’ offseason just got more expensive. Michael King’s decision to decline his player option adds the biggest name to a group that already included nine free agents. Now A.J. Preller has to decide which contributions the Padres need to preserve and which openings deserve a different answer.

We can appreciate all these players without wanting the entire roster back. The question is what each commitment buys the next Padres team. Ranked by the difficulty of replacing their contributions, here’s where their priorities should be.

Michael King leads the Padres’ toughest free-agent decisions

1. Michael King

King gets the first call and the strongest push. Replacing your ace is the biggest assignment here, and losing him would put pressure on every other pitching decision that leads into the 2027 season.

They should make an aggressive offer. If the bidding moves beyond their reach, Preller needs an alternative substantial enough to keep the rotation competitive. Several smaller contracts won’t automatically cover one enormous vacancy.

2. Adrian Morejon

Morejon should follow King because trusted, high-impact relief work is difficult to replace. Keeping him would preserve an important weapon while the Padres sort through their rotation.

Morejon delivered a 2.83 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 107 strikeouts across 86 innings in 2026, earning an All-Star selection.

That production along with his reliability are worth pursuing aggressively. Replacing that many quality relief innings would become another major assignment on Preller’s list.

3. Ty France

France ranks this high because replacing his bat would create real work. He hit .295 with 21 home runs, 72 RBI and an .865 OPS in 2026.

We should want that production back at first base. And everyday honestly. Letting him leave gives Preller another everyday hole to fill during a winter already heavy on pitching needs. Make a competitive offer, with the contract grounded in what France can sustain. His season earned him a raise; Preller just still needs to get the years and dollars right.

4. Walker Buehler

The appeal is keeping a familiar rotation option while avoiding another vacancy. To be fair, if there is an affordable replacement on the list, that’s totally okay.

San Diego should compare his asking price with the broader market and build enough depth around whichever starters return.

5. Robbie Ray

Ray belongs in serious discussions because the Padres have substantial pitching work ahead. It’s not necessarily the reunion everyone wants. But it’s not a bad idea.

Ray posted a 3.59 ERA across 165 2/3 innings and 30 starts in 2026, giving his reunion case a substantial workload to stand on. We should take those innings seriously with this many rotation openings. The more important question is if the Padres can afford him.

Padres need room for upgrades beyond their familiar faces

6. Jason Adam

Adam deserves consideration, but his contract has to fit alongside the rotation needs and Morejon decision. We should want reliable late innings. Adam spent most of 2026 on the shelf. A reunion sounds nice, but it’s low priority given how much work the Padres already have on their plate.

7. Ramón Laureano

Laureano gets the first look among these outfielders. But only after the Padres explore an everyday left fielder.

8. Austin Hays

Hays should enter the conversation after the Padres pursue an everyday left fielder as well. If there’s a complementary role available at the right price, a reunion deserves consideration.

9. Luis Rengifo

Rengifo’s torn ACL changes everything here. We shouldn’t pencil him into San Diego’s 2027 plans with his recovery adding uncertainty to his availability.

10. Casey Mize

Mize belongs last. And it’s probably not nice to put him behind a player that’s unlikely to even play in 2026. But to be fair, his San Diego stint was poor enough that a reunion should barely register among Preller’s priorities.

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