Padres poised for an aggressive offseason amid a glaring organizational weakness

The San Diego Padres’ failure to make any sort of noise in the 2025 postseason speaks volumes, as the team’s front office did everything possible to give them a chance, at the expense of the farm system.

The trades for Mason Miller, Ryan O’Hearn, Ramón Laureano, and Freddy Fermín forced 12 prospects out of San Diego’s minor league system, including MLB’s No. 3 overall prospect, Leo De Vries. These moves put the Padres at a disadvantage for the future, as they now have the worst-ranked farm system in the league.

Padres ready for aggressive push to shore up their biggest weakness

While two prospects crack MLB’s Top 100 — Ethan Salas (77th) and Kruz Schoolkraft (95th) — neither of them is close to being ready for major league action.

With players such as Luis Arráez, Ryan O’Hearn, and Dylan Cease all set to depart in free agency, all signs point to the roster looking a whole lot different in 2026. A.J. Preller will need to act swiftly in order to rebuild that farm system.

Trading Robert Suarez would be a perfect way to jump-start the rebuild, as the 34-year-old is almost certainly opting out of his contract this offseason. When asked about his future with the team, Suarez responded with the following.

“I’ve got to think about all of those decisions I’m going to make,” Suarez said. “And then we’ll move forward once I do…I’m always going to be grateful for this organization. They gave me the opportunity to play here, be in the Major Leagues. I’m very grateful for them. Always will be.”

While his decision is not set in stone just yet, it seems as if he is leaning toward opting out. If this is the case, A.J. Preller needs to find a trade partner for the star reliever and avoid losing him for nothing.

Another decision that needs to be made is with Michael King, who also touched on his future with the team. The 30-year-old has also been involved in numerous trade rumors, as his contract is set to expire at the end of the 2026 season.

“I’m sure it's a conversation I’ll have with my family and agent,” King said. “I don’t even know. These guys have all been incredible the last couple years. Preller knows how to put together a team. We had everybody going for one goal, all pulling for each other. It was really fun to be a part of these last two years.”

The 2025 season ended in complete and utter disaster for the Padres, as they went all in at the trade deadline, only to get bounced in the first round. This failure now means that they have to make some difficult decisions regarding the roster and say goodbye to fan favorites, Suarez and King included. 

It will be a tumultuous offseason for Preller and the front office, as they have many difficult decisions to make.