4) Do the Padres plan on finding a meaningful replacement for Josh Hader?
Like Blake Snell, it feels like Josh Hader's time in San Diego has come to an end. It's not for performance reasons, obviously. The Padres would likely love to have him back as the team's closer for a long time. He's simply too expensive for a team trying to cut down on payroll.
Replacing Hader is obviously an impossibility. Nobody really compares to him, and losing him really just stinks. While that's an obvious bummer, the Padres can still make a meaningful bullpen addition. The question is, will they?
Filling out a MLB-caliber rotation should be priority one for A.J. Preller. Rounding out an improved lineup should also be high up on Preller's list. It feels like adding to a bullpen that should already be decent might not be so high on Preller's list.
The Padres have guys like Scott Barlow and Robert Suarez who theoretically can cover the late innings. While, of course, they'd love to add more, will they with all of the other holes on the roster? I'm sure the Padres will add an arm or two, but a question that needs to be answered is if they'll go after any of the more expensive relievers.