Yahoo Sports offseason grades has Padres in unfamiliar and worrying territory

With pitchers and catchers set to report next week, the offseason is quickly coming to a close. Baseball writers Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz gave offseason grades to all 30 MLB clubs for Yahoo Sports. The San Diego Padres were one of two teams to receive an F grade, the Seattle Mariners getting the other one.

Here's what they had to say about the Padres' offseason.

"Prior to re-signing backup catcher Díaz, the Padres had not added a single free agent on an MLB contract this winter. The Padres have not conducted a single significant trade. Their left fielder, All-Star Jurickson Profar, joined the Atlanta Braves. Their closer, Tanner Scott, one of the top relievers in baseball, signed with the rival Dodgers. A key member of their infield mix, Ha-Seong Kim, joined the Tampa Bay Rays.

This transactional freeze is almost certainly a product of the team’s messy ownership situation, featuring a fight over control of the franchise between the widow and brothers of late owner Peter Seidler. GM AJ Preller has claimed that San Diego’s payroll will remain in the top 10 league-wide, but so far, the Padres have been frozen solid in a transactional ice age."

The Padres' offseason has been mired with an ownership dispute and a lack of free agents signed. Peter Seidler's widow is challenging the control to the team away from his brothers, as originally planned. John Seidler was set to become the main control person before this saga began.

At the time of this writing, their only major league signing is catcher Elias Diaz, who will likely be the backup catcher behind Luis Campusano. They've been linked to trade rumors with some of their best starting pitchers, with teams inquiring about Dylan Cease and Michael King in their final year of control. Jurickson Profar, Tanner Scott, and Ha-Seong Kim have signed with other teams in free agency and lost their key free agent target to their division rival.

Padres star third baseman Manny Machado chimed in during Padres Fan Fest, saying "Are we disappointed we haven’t made any moves? Yeah."

It's worth noting that the Padres are still coming off a 93-win season and should still be considered a contender for a Wild Card spot. However, the offseason has seen three of their division rivals get stronger while the Padres have been stagnant. The National League rebounded in 2024, which should mean a very competitive race in 2025. The Padres will have to contend with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, and New York Mets, who all won 89 games plus any surprise contenders that pop up during the season.

The two biggest holes on their roster are left field and starting rotation depth. It's possible that they opt for a Tirso Ornelas/Brandon Lockridge platoon in left field and they're going to have to rely on their prospect depth to get through the season. They are without Joe Musgrove for a significant chunk of the season, as he's recovering from July Tommy John surgery. How San Diego navigates their rotation depth will determine their ability to compete.