NASHVILLE, Tenn. — From a suite above the vast maze of hallways that is the Gaylord Opryland Resort, A.J. Preller made vague references to the varying avenues his team could explore. The San Diego Padres president of baseball operations is known for frequently concocting numerous plans and backup plans amid his sleepless approach to roster construction.
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But this Padres offseason has so far included a manager change, the death of a beloved owner and no major-league moves by a team seeking to add several pitchers without significantly increasing its current projected payroll of $189 million or so. It certainly feels like no major player transactions can happen until Preller opts to trade Juan Soto or, in what would be a major surprise, notifies teams that he fully intends to hang on to the star outfielder.
“Specifically with Juan, yeah, that takes us down different paths, for sure,” Preller said Monday. “It’s all about, like, making the best decisions possible, whether that’s holding him and adjusting other spots, whether that’s holding him because we feel like we have other pitchers that we can line up within our budget, or listening to hear what other people have. So I think it’s not going to be, ‘Hey, we need a decision … by this time.’ It’s just going to be what’s the best decisions we can have on any of these calls.”
The Padres still seem to have at least a little time to make what might be the most consequential decision of Preller’s tenure. They perhaps are waiting for Shohei Ohtani to conclude his free agency, which in theory would increase the trade demand for Soto.
Preller pointed out that this offseason, so far, has not been especially active across the industry.
“It does seem like obviously you have some dynamic players at the top of the market (in Yoshinobu) Yamamoto and Ohtani,” Preller said. “I think teams are going to be competitive for those guys and then things may fall from there.”
In the meantime, multiple teams have been devising their own backup plans. The Toronto Blue Jays, for example, would like to land Soto if they miss out on Ohtani. The Padres have recently engaged the Blue Jays, the New York Yankees and other suitors in trade discussions. Since last week, there appears to have been no shortage of interest.
Juan Soto hit 35 home runs in 2023. (Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)“I mean, you’re talking about a top-10 player in the game of baseball and one of the biggest offensive forces in the game, probably a top-two or -three offensive performer in the game over the last five years,” Preller said. “Teams have interest, so we understand that. The last week, 10 days, we’ve gotten a bunch of calls on Juan.”
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Interest does not always lead to deal-making. The Padres and the Yankees, who are not seen as a finalist for Ohtani’s services, entered the week far apart in their talks regarding Soto and San Diego center fielder Trent Grisham, although some officials on either side continued to believe there was enough impetus for an eventual agreement. In what was at least part-posturing, Preller on Monday told reporters that he could still envision opening the 2024 season with Soto in his lineup.
“That’s a very attractive option for us,” Preller said.
The beginning of the week also brought a notable development for an alternative option. Kiwoom Heroes center fielder Jung Hoo Lee has been posted by Major League Baseball and will have 30 days to reach an agreement with a stateside team. Lee, a 25-year-old known for uncommon plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills, could help address the Padres’ need for left-handed hitting. San Diego could offer him the advantage of teaming him with his best friend, infielder Ha-Seong Kim, who has spent more than a year advising Lee on how to transition to the majors.
Soon, if they end up trading both Soto and Grisham, the Padres might want to acquire multiple outfielders. Even before considering San Diego’s pitching needs, signing Lee without moving Soto does not appear financially feasible; because of his age, the Scott Boras client is expected to command a multiyear contract of at least $50 million plus an additional posting fee to the Heroes.
The Padres have long had interest in Lee, though Preller downplayed the team’s candidacy.
“We’ve had the ability to see him overall as a player, so we’re familiar with him,” Preller said. “In that market, both KBO and NPB, we feel like we’re at least prepared for when players come out. I think a lot of times, there’s been a lot said over the years that we’re automatically going to be on any player coming out of one of those leagues. It’s not the case. It’s all on an individual basis. But we’re definitely prepared.”
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On Monday, however, it was unclear just how much the Padres were prepared to do before arriving at a resolution on Soto. They and other teams have been speaking with free-agent catcher Martín Maldonaldo, who at age 37 should require only a modest deal. As for San Diego’s starker needs in the rotation and the bullpen, Preller referenced the previous offseason.
Between November and February, the Padres signed Nick Martinez to a three-year, $26 million deal; Seth Lugo to a two-year, $15 million deal and Michael Wacha to a four-year, $26 million deal. Each agreement included player options, team options or both. Now, with a smaller budget, the Padres could pursue similar but slightly less lucrative deals with pitchers.
“It’s a very competitive market for pitching, so you got to be creative and you got to go out and pick the right guys,” Preller said. “Hopefully, a few guys that maybe are overlooked that we like, that are performing for us.”
A trade of Soto and his projected $33 million salary would open more avenues to acquire pitching help, although his exit would significantly weaken an offense that underachieved throughout 2023. The roster’s most attractive trade candidate may be Kim, a Gold Glove Award winner who is owed only $8 million in his final year under contract.
The Padres’ preference is to retain Kim, with one club source saying any potential return would have to be “way above the line.” Team officials, meanwhile, say they are not under MLB pressure to hang on to the fan favorite ahead of their March season opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome, where Kim and Lee used to play home games as Heroes teammates. That series, after all, will consist of just two games.
And it is in a little more than 100 days. If the Padres do not decide on Soto soon, the offseason could quickly slip away.
(Top photo: Quinn Harris / Getty Images)
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