11 San Diego Padres players who won't be back next season

The San Diego Padres just wrapped up what might've been the most disappointing season in franchise history. This team that just made the NLCS last season and added Xander Bogaerts to go along with full seasons of Fernando Tatis Jr., Josh Hader, and Juan Soto.

Expectations were sky-high, but the team never quite clicked and finished with an 82-80 record. Not only did the team not come close to their World Series aspirations, they didn't even make the playoffs.

Failure of this magnitude will likely result in several changes. Not only is Bob Melvin's seat hot, chances are, the roster will look quite different. We know stars signed on long-term deals like Tatis, Manny Machado, and Bogaerts will be here, but the rest of the roster is a huge question mark. San Diego has several upcoming free agents and with them looking to cut down on payroll, several difficult decisions will have to be made.

These are 11 players who will not be on the roster next season. Some will depart in free agency, and others will be traded.

1) Padres outfielder Juan Soto will not be back in 2024

This is probably the most controversial one, but as the Juan Soto rumors continue to pick up steam, the likelihood of the Padres trading the superstar outfielder seems to be increasing by the day. This isn't because of the player, this is because of money.

The Padres aim to lower their payroll by a significant margin, and parting ways with Soto helps them do that. They could always try to keep him around for one more year before he hits free agency, but with there being virtually no chance that the team extends him on a long-term deal, the idea of getting something for him before you lose him for nothing is more enticing.

Soto will not net a package close to what the Padres gave up to acquire him, but they should still be able to get a couple of very valuable assets in a deal for Soto. Whether they search for prospects or young MLB players remains to be seen.

At this point I'd be fairly shocked if Soto was still in the brown and gold in 2024. There's simply too much smoke around a potential trade. I wish this story had a different ending, but that's the likely outcome here.

4) Padres pitcher Seth Lugo will not be back in 2024

Seth Lugo was one of the big surprises of the season for the Padres, posting a 3.57 ERA in 26 starts and 146.1 innings pitched. He converted from a reliever back to being a starter and showed that he was a very capable mid-rotation guy who can stay healthy over the course of a long season. Lugo was a big reason the Padres even had a chance at making a run to the postseason.

Lugo pitching so well means it's very unlikely he opts into his $7.5 million player option. It's within his right to test free agency, and there will certainly be a multi-year deal out there that guarantees him an eight figure salary. I think it's very unlikely the Padres engage in a multi-team bidding war to keep the 33-year-old in town.

5) Padres DH Matt Carpenter will not be back in 2024

Padres fans can only wonder where this team would be had they simply re-signed Brandon Drury and used him as the team's primary DH instead of the platoon of Nelson Cruz and Matt Carpenter. Cruz struggled to the point where he was designated for assignment earlier this season and Carpenter was arguably worse but remained with the club, presumably due to the second year of his contract.

Carpenter has a player option worth $5.5 million for the 2024 season, one they certainly regret giving and one he will absolutely exercise. While the money will be guaranteed, there's no way San Diego can keep Carpenter around next season and act like they're in it to win it. He slashed .176/.322/.319 this season and had a grand total of 38 at-bats since the beginning of July. He barely played down the stretch, and would seemingly ride the pine again next season.

6) Padres pitcher Rich Hill will not be back in 2024

The Padres acquired Rich Hill in a trade with the Pirates at the deadline to try and add stability and depth to a rotation that needed it, but unfortunately, he did nothing to help the team win. Hill had an 8.23 ERA in 10 appearances and only made five starts before being relegated to the bullpen. San Diego went just 2-8 in games he pitched, and one of the wins took them to the 10th as Hill blew a save.

It would've been nice for Hill to pitch well for his 13th MLB team, but he looked uncompetitve in games he started. As Hill enters his age-44 season, he'll either be on a new team, one of his 12 older teams, or on his couch retired. None of these scenarios involve the Padres.

7) Padres infielder Ji Man Choi will not be back in 2024

Ji Man Choi was involved in the Hill trade with the Pirates at the deadline, and that deal is already one of the worst A.J. Preller has made. Hill was a disaster, and Choi might've been even worse. The 32-year-old was supposed to be an upgrade at the DH spot, but managed to somehow not be an improvement over Carpenter.

Part of the struggles weren't his fault as he missed a month due to a rib injury, but when he played he was terrible. Choi had just two hits in 31 at-bats with the Friars, and those hits came in Game 161 after the Padres were already eliminated. San Diego can find a better free agent to help improve this offense.

8) Padres pitcher Tim Hill will not be back in 2024

From 2020-2022, Tim Hill was a reliable lefty in San Diego's bullpen. His sidearm delivery was very difficult for left-handed hitters to pick up, and his ability to get lefties out at a high level made him an irreplaceable piece in the bullpen. This season he looked like a different guy, and couldn't get righties or lefties out.

The southpaw had a 5.48 ERA in 48 appearances and 44.1 innings pitched. His 5.48 FIP suggested that his ERA wasn't a total fluke, and that he was simply bad in 2023. Lefties hit .275 against him, and he allowed an absurd 12.0 H/9. Everybody crushed him. Hill is entering his final year of team control so San Diego could keep him around and hope for a bounceback, but I think the team non-tendering him is the more likely outcome after a year to forget.

9) Padres catcher Austin Nola will not be back in 2024

Austin Nola was good enough last season as the Padres primary catcher but took a massive step back in 2023. He had just a .452 OPS in 130 at-bats before the Padres had enough and sent him down to the minors. Nola played in just eight games before being placed on the IL with a vision issue.

Luis Campusano broke out for the Padres in the second half and seems to be the team's number-one catcher as we head toward 2024. Even Gary Sanchez had some good moments and could be brought back as a backup or a DH option. Nola has lost his role and should be non-tendered this offseason as there's really no incentive to keep him around in arbitration.

10) Padres infielder Garrett Cooper will not be back in 2024

The trade the Padres made to acquire Hill and Choi wound up being nothing short of disastrous, but the trade for Garrett Cooper didn't age so poorly. Cooper was the primary first baseman for the Padres down the stretch and was alright, slashing .239/.323/.402 with four home runs and 15 RBI in 117 at-bats.

Cooper has been a pretty good hitter throughout his career primarily with the Marlins, but has simply not stayed healthy. The 123 games he played this season set a new career high for him, but he has just two other seasons in his seven-year career in which he's reached 100 games played. That makes him a hard player to commit to. I think Cooper is a fine option at first base if the Padres go that route, I just don't see it happening.

11) Padres pitcher Drew Pomeranz will not be back in 2024

Drew Pomeranz underwent flexor tendon surgery in 2021 and is still trying to fight his way back from it. He had an outstanding year in 2021 and had solidified himself as one of the best left-handed relievers in the game before the injury. He was able to make it back for three rehab appearances and threw three hitless innings before being shut down with elbow discomfort.

It's a sad story for Pomeranz who just can't seem to find his way back. He's set to be a free agent this offseason and could return on a low-risk high-reward deal (I'd love that) but the Padres haven't really done those kinds of deals in the past.