Why Seiya Suzuki is worth pursuing despite Padres’ huge rotation needs

The worst-kept secret in baseball right now is that the San Diego Padres need starting pitching. Just taking one look at their projected 2027 depth chart will reveal that much to any casual fan. There's really no stone the team can leave unturned in their quest to improve the group for 2027 and beyond.

But that's not their only need. New contracts for Ty France and Adrian Morejon would assuage a lot of concerns regarding the lineup and bullpen, though even then there'd be a gaping hole in left field for A.J. Preller to fill. There's just a lot of positions that need to be addressed, and it's unclear if the franchise (even under the new ownership of Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones) has enough resources to properly focus on each one.

However, if you thought that would stop Preller from being his usual self this offseason, you clearly don't know the man. According to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, he's planning to make a serious run at a number of the best Japanese players on the market, including Seiya Suzuki.

Signing Seiya Suzuki would grant the Padres plenty of roster options, even if he complicates their pitching plans

Suzuki is a fascinating target for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that he's a Gold Glove candidate in right field. That's obviously a position reserved for Fernando Tatis Jr., though there are a few ways to make that partnershp work.

Perhaps the more intriguing plan would be to shift Tatis to second base on a full-time basis, which would create a bevy of options for the rest of the roster. The Padres could move Jake Cronenworth to first base to replace France in that scenario, or they could re-sign the 2026 breakout star and move the infield stalwart in a trade that would (ideally) bring back pitching.

Alternatively, you could just stash Suzuki in left field (a position he's played for less than 150 innings in the big leagues) and keep the rest of the depth chart the same. That's a cleaner fit, but it's a sizable bet considering he's attached to the qualifying offer and the Padres would thus be forking over a massive sum of money, draft picks, and international bonus pool space just to sign Suzuki. And none of those resources would be going toward the pitching staff.

Do all of those factors complicate a potential pursuit of Suzuki? Sure. But would the Padres still massively beenfit from adding his bat (134 wRC+ this year) and glove (+14 Defensive Runs Saved) to their starting lineup? Absolutely.

The Preller-era Padres have always been about adding as much as talent as possible and figuring out the rest later. Landing Suzuki would fit that mold and then some.

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