The one big swing the Padres need to take this offseason

Sadly, it is already time to start talking about what the San Diego Padres need to do this offseason. An exciting 2026 campaign ended on Wednesday night after the Milwaukee Brewers eliminated them at Petco Park, 3-1 in Game 4 of the NLDS. We spent the night grieving over what could have been, but now it's time to move forward.

The Friars have plenty of holes in the roster to try and mend. Particularly, the team needs another outfield bat. With Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. occupying two spots in the outfield, imagine having one more strong player out there?

Enter Seiya Suzuki. The 32-year-old is coming off a career year that saw him log a 131 OPS+, .841 OPS, 26 home runs, and 31 doubles. Sprinkle in Suzuki having a tremendous arm and five OAA this past season, he should be the first position player that San Diego looks into this offseason.

Cubs' Seiya Suzuki would be perfect fit for San Diego Padres in 2027

Let's not forget that Suzuki terrorized the Padres in the 2025 NLDS, muscling two doubles and a home run in three games. But his success in that series goes much further than that.

In 13 games at all five NL West ballparks this past year, Suzuki batted 16-for-49 (.327) with three home runs, 10 RBI, and four doubles. The familiarity and the success is already there, not just at Petco Park, but everywhere else in the division. Suzuki would be the Padres' third best-hitting outfielder, but would bring in these kind of numbers. It's hard to not sign up for that.

Suzuki will probably be offered deals in the four-to-five year range, anywhere from $23-$28 million per season. He won't be cheap, but it will be interesting to see what other upcoming outfield free agents sign for (Randy Arozarena, Jake Bauers, Daulton Varsho). All three of these players are slightly younger than Suzuki, too, but there's no telling that they would be offered more than a productive player like Suzuki.

The Padres have become a destination organization for free agents. Players want to sign here, and not just for the nice weather and great city. San Diego has turned into a postseason contender, but they are still one step behind teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Brewers. Acquiring Seiya Suzuki would significantly inch them closer.

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