Padres make surprise non-tenders while locking in key piece for 2026

The San Diego Padres took the non-tender deadline to send what amounted to a subtle statement about how they’re building the roster to get ready for 2026. No big trades or shocking surprises on that day, no shocking transactions. But the few decisions the Padres made told us a lot about which depth guys the front office is OK moving on from, and which building blocks remain in play for next year.

As always, the Padres again held no apprehension about letting go of someone not part of the long-term equation, even if it meant cutting ties with someone we know. At the same time, the team made sure to keep an important contributor back there. 

Padres finish contract business and clear path for bigger offseason moves

By committing to a catcher and tendering every other arbitration-eligible player, the organization checked off an important off-season task. Because all but six of the 34 members of the 40-man roster are either signed or tendered for 2026, the Padres can focus on this winter’s larger priorities, improving the rotation, improving the bullpen, and perhaps adding a bat out there. 

The day’s biggest decision was agreeing to a one-year deal with Campusano behind the dish. Campusano, who has steadily carved out a bigger role the past two seasons, gives the Padres an offensive-minded presence behind the dish while also considering long-term how to balance cost control and production. 

Getting Campusano’s deal squared away now gives the Padres clarity behind the plate before the offseason really hits its chaotic stretch. With one of their most important positions stabilized early, the front office can turn its attention to the heavier roster decisions still ahead.

The Padres weren’t as generous on the pitching side, choosing to non-tender Omar Cruz and Sean Reynolds and open up two spots in their depth chart. Cruz’s story is one of the more winding development arcs in the system, drafted by San Diego, traded to Pittsburgh, then brought back in the Minor League Rule 5 draft before finally making his MLB debut in 2025. His time in the big leagues was brief, totaling 3.2 innings, but he did show some life with five strikeouts in that small sample.

Reynolds is this another victim of the roster math. Originally drafted as a position player, Reynolds reinvented himself on the mound and broke through with a solid debut run in 2024, holding his own over nine outings. In 2025, though, the command issues became harder to ignore. He finished with a 5.33 ERA in 27 innings, walking 17 batters and never quite earning the staff’s full trust. For a team that needs its middle-relief options to be steady and flexible, carrying a reliever that volatile — and out of minor-league options — wasn’t a luxury the Padres could afford, so they cut bait rather than try to squeeze one more year out of him.

In other non-tender news, the Padres tendered contracts to all six remaining arbitration-eligible players: right-handers Jason Adam and Mason Miller, left-handers Adrian Morejon and JP Sears, Freddy Fermin, and Gavin Sheets.

The tenders keep all six under team control for 2026 while the price for their services gets worked out over the winter. It’s a group that is a mix of present value and prospect upside, particularly in the rotation and bullpen, so the Padres weren’t willing to let any of them walk.

Now that the deadline has come and gone, the Padres find themselves in a bit rare territory: all 34 players on the 40-man roster are now under contract or formally tendered for next season. For a team headed into what might very well be the most pivotal offseason in recent memory — a time that could shape the franchise over the next several years — having the internal structure secure is meaningful. The non-tenders reveal where the margin for error has disappeared. The signings and tenders indicate where the confidence still lies. And collectively they set the table for the heavy lifting that is still to come.