The postseason will transfer on with out the Padres concerned tonight when the Mets journey to Dodger Stadium for Recreation 1 of the NLCS, and the Padres now determine to show their consideration to constructing for the 2025 season. Among the many high wants to handle on the membership’s offseason to-do record figures to be addressing the wants created by the potential departure of pending free brokers. Infielder Ha-Seong Kim is probably the membership’s most high-profile free agent, although between his latest surgical procedure leaving questions concerning his market and San Diego’s appreciable depth within the center infield, left fielder Jurickson Profar and catcher Kyle Higashioka are doubtless larger priorities for the membership to both return or exchange.
Within the case of Profar, the 31-year-old has made clear that he prefers to stick with the Padres. Profar instructed reporters (together with MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell) yesterday that he hopes to return to San Diego subsequent yr earlier than acknowledging that the choice isn’t “completely in [his] fingers,” including that the Padres “have gotten to need [him], too.”
After signing a one-year cope with the Padres over the offseason that assured him simply $1MM final yr, Profar loved a breakout season that’s positive to earn him a big pay increase headed into 2025. In 158 video games with San Diego this yr, Profar slashed a superb .280/.380/.459 (139 wRC+) with 24 dwelling runs, 10 steals, a robust 11.1% stroll charge and a very good 15.1% strikeout charge. That robust all-around play got here collectively to create by far probably the most beneficial season of Profar’s profession as he posted 4.3 fWAR, leaving him sandwiched between Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker because the seventh most precious outfielder in baseball this yr.
That robust season ought to make Profar among the many most fascinating free brokers of the winter. Precious as his offense was this yr, he supplies just about no defensive worth as a below-average glove restricted to left discipline and his monitor document on offense is spotty at finest. Profar’s profession wRC+ is definitely beneath league common (99) even after this yr’s phenomenal marketing campaign, and even his 107 wRC+ since first becoming a member of San Diego in 2020 is nearer to strong than spectacular for a participant of Profar’s restricted defensive worth. If these potential crimson flags depart groups cautious about giving Profar a hefty assure, it’s actually possible to think about the perimeters working one thing out to maintain the veteran in San Diego going ahead.
In fact, a Profar reunion would solely serve to additional elevate what already figures to be a sophisticated payroll image for the Padres subsequent yr. The membership is at the moment set to be on the hook for simply over $207MM in response to RosterResource subsequent yr, with a payroll of greater than $243MM for luxurious tax functions. It’s potential that offseason trades or maybe even a artistic extension for an arbitration-level participant like Luis Arraez might decrease these numbers, however the Padres nonetheless seem prone to be nearing their payroll capability even earlier than reuniting with Profar or addressing the a number of holes within the membership’s rotation.
That might depart the Padres needing to scrimp on different elements of the roster, notably in the event that they hope to retain Profar. One place the place the membership might look to economize is behind the plate, the place Kyle Higashioka impressed in his remaining yr earlier than free company with 17 homers in 263 journeys to the plate for the Padres this yr. Very similar to Profar, Higashioka indicated an curiosity in returning to the Padres as he heads into free company, telling reporters (together with Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune) that he beloved enjoying in southern California and that his time with the Padres has been probably the most enjoyable he’s had with a workforce.
With Higashioka doubtlessly in line for a hefty increase this winter, nonetheless, Acee means that San Diego brass might as a substitute look to half methods with each him and Kim this winter as they await the approaching arrival of the membership’s high prospects. Catcher Ethan Salas entered the 2024 season as a consensus top-10 prospect in baseball after reaching the Double-A degree as a 17 yr outdated, however Acee notes that shortstop prospect Leodalis De Vries, who turned 18 simply two days in the past, is much more extremely regarded by Padres brass.
What’s extra, Acee notes that there have been discussions throughout the group about the potential of each teenage phenoms making their huge league debuts as quickly as 2025. If the Padres actually consider each gamers could possibly be prepared for the majors someday subsequent yr, that would incentivize them to give attention to different areas of the roster this winter and keep on with comparatively short-term choices behind the plate and at shortstop who could possibly be pushed apart within the occasion that Salas or De Vries cracks the large league roster.
In fact, each gamers would wish to rocket by the minor leagues at a breakneck tempo to achieve the majors subsequent yr. Salas spent the whole 2024 season on the Excessive-A degree and slashed a lackluster .206/.288/.311 in 111 video games with the membership, whereas De Vries slashed a superb .238/.361/.442 throughout 75 video games in his first style {of professional} motion this yr however has not but performed above the Single-A degree. Whereas breakout rookie Jackson Merrill stands for instance of San Diego’s willingness to push high prospects aggressively, even he had practically 50 video games of success within the higher minors earlier than cracking the large league roster.
