Padres staring down Dodgers latest payroll reset with no easy answers

Heading into the winter meetings, the San Diego Padres are on the complete opposite track of their division rivals up I-5. We all knew that the Padres would lose players while the Dodgers would gain, but not to this degree.

According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Los Angeles has cleared its books ahead of 2026, with all signs pointing to them going all out. From Clayton Kershaw’s retirement to Michael Conforto, Chris Taylor, and Kirby Yates set to hit the open market, the team has gained a total of $87 million in available payroll.

Dodgers find fresh flexibility while Padres twist in payroll limbo

What an offseason for them to spend big in, as the free-agent class is as deep as ever, with impact bats such as Kyle Tucker, Kyle Schwarber, and Pete Alonso.

But what the Dodgers need most is relief pitching, as the bullpen proved to be a massive disappointment in 2025, despite winning their second straight World Series.

Robert Suárez, Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, and Ryan Helsley headline the class of high leverage-relievers. We can only imagine that the Dodgers front office is closely monitoring all four of them

This news is something that Padres fans want no part in hearing, as they are set to undergo the exact opposite approach to the offseason as the Dodgers.

First off, they are set to lose Luis Arráez and Ryan O’Hearn, who manned the first base position for the majority of the year. Second, Dylan Cease and Michael King, who bolstered the starting rotation, are both likely to leave. Robert Suárez, who we mentioned earlier, opted out of his contract and is also set to find a lucrative deal elsewhere.

The Padres only have $47 million in available payroll, and they are going to have to make some very difficult decisions about how they want to approach the offseason. They still have the core four in Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill — under contract through 2034, but they need to add to the supporting cast. It will be interesting to see how A.J. Preller addresses the offseason after what the Dodgers just chose to do.