Padres News: Roki Sasaki chase, 2025 payroll update, FanFest announced

The Roki Sasaki sweepstakes have been agonizing. Who will the Japanese ace pitcher sign with? Are the Padres still in the hunt to land him? It turns out, even if San Diego does come to an agreement with Sasaki, it won't change how the front office navigates the rest of the winter.

While the Friars would love nothing more than to bolster their rotation in 2025 with Sasaki, adding one more pitcher is not their only concern. They are still looking to build elsewhere, and although it has been an extremely quiet offseason for the Padres, the scales can be tipped as a new year is just around the corner. Padres fans are going to have to continue sitting back and waiting for AJ Preller's next move. Thankfully, though, Preller has acquisition goals beyond Sasaki.

The San Diego general manager will still have to find a way to shed some payroll as part of the offseason process, unfortunately. Right-handed ace Dylan Cease has headlined the rumor mill as a potential trade option, which would cut back on the payroll. Cease is arbitration eligible, and considering his consistent durability and overall dominance, he is destined for a long-term contract at a hefty price following the 2025 campaign.

Ideally, if Cease is dealt, the Padres would love to see a haul of prospects in return. Cease is a perennial Cy Young Award candidate and he is likely to draw interest from playoff-contending teams. Those clubs have to send over a few players who are under team control for a while in order for Friars fans to stomach a Dylan Cease departure.

Luis Arráez is another Padre on the precipice of being arbitration eligible, and he will be a free agent in 2026. He's won the batting title three years in a row, so we can anticipate Arráez also vying for a steep contract, whether he is worth it or not. Bidding farewell to Cease and Arráez would definitely keep San Diego's payroll in an ideal range. How the Padres would look on paper if those two guys are gone is another question, but Preller and his team seem eager to fulfill all positional needs.

Padres 2025 FanFest announced for Feb. 1 at Petco Park

If Padres fans are looking for some good and solidified news, the club announced details for the 2025 FanFest, which will take place at Petco Park on February 1. Even if Cease or Arráez aren't there, fans can hope to see appearances from several other players and Padres personnel.

The door has not quite opened on the Padres' offseason yet, but momentum could pick up at the flip of the calendar year. The pursuit of Sasaki has been tiring, but it could be well worth the trouble, whether or not the Padres trade from their starting rotation.