With the 2024 season now in the books, we look forward to what the San Diego Padres will do entering this winter and beyond.

Another season has passed. The Padres and the Faithful will have to wait another year for a pending parade.

Until they get to the mountaintop in October, Padres players, front-office members, and fans will be asking themselves what could have been of the 2024 campaign. If only the bats didn’t go ice-cold in the final two games of the National League Division Series.

The thought that hurts the most for some is the harsh fact that this was the Friars’ best chance at a title since their last World Series appearance in 1998. For others, it all falls on the famous San Diego sports curse. But just as with everything else in life, the sourness that was the end of a magic-filled season will have to be put aside to turn the page onto next year.

With the official commencement of the offseason, the Padres head into the winter with a multitude of questions.

Oddly enough, it does seem like they are in a much better state than they were a year ago. They have a returning core group of players who solidify the starting lineup, three top-of-the-rotation starters, and a great bullpen. But to remain with the same World Series aspirations, they will need to add to an already impressive roster, considering that the blue team up the I-5 North just celebrated a Commissioner’s Trophy.

Considering the amount of questions and buzz surrounding the Friars’ offseason needs, I reached out to Jon Schaeffer and Jim Russell of San Diego Sports 760 for their insight on what the Padres should and can do going into 2025.

The following will be a question-and-answer thread- Enjoy.

Q: How did the 2024 postseason run compare to the run in 2022?

A: (Jon) Unfortunately, seasons are defined by postseasons, which takes away some of the satisfaction from a terrific regular season. The 2024 team was probably set up better than the 2022 team to make a deep run, but unfortunately, picked a bad time to go 24 consecutive innings without scoring.

Q: Considering they finished five games back of the Dodgers in the NL West, is it realistic to think the Padres could make another competitive run for the division in 2025?

A: (Jim) It felt like this was the year to catch the Dodgers in the division because L.A. is only going to get better. Ohtani will be pitching next year and they had a lot of injuries this season. I absolutely think the Padres can make the playoffs next year, but the division feels a bit out of reach. But things can always change.

Q: What is a key takeaway in your opinion that the fanbase can take into next season with optimism?

A: (Jon) That A.J. Preller proved a lot of people wrong this past year and had success with most moves, large or small. There will once again be challenges and questions heading into 2025, but Preller proved this past season that he’s capable of putting together a complete roster. Hopefully, that trend continues this upcoming season.

Q: Jackson Merrill and the Padres front office had extension talks during Spring Training this year. Coming off a potential NL Rookie of the Year season, what does a long-term contract extension look like for Merrill?

A: (Jim) I think a contract extension starts with what Corbin Carroll got from the Diamondbacks, eight years/$111 million. So with that, I’d say eight to ten years/$120-130 million seems about right.

Q: With Ha-Seong Kim hitting free agency, does Xander Bogaerts return to shortstop full-time, or do the Padres turn to an external option for next season?

A: (Jon) My guess is it’ll be an internal option as opposed to an external one, with Bogaerts at the top of the list. However, if Xander does move back to short, it begs the question of why they moved him in the first place.

Q: How important is it to lock in Michael King to a long-term extension? Does Dylan Cease’s postseason struggles hinder an extension of his own?

A: (Jim) With Joe Musgrove out for all of 2025 and his long-term health being a concern, I’d say King is a top priority to keep long-term. And as for Cease, his postseason was a concern, but the bigger concern is who his agent is ( Scott Boras). I wouldn’t be surprised if the Padres look to try and shop Cease this offseason or at least see what they could get back for him.

Q: How do the Padres effectively replace Tanner Scott?

A: (Jon) He’s probably not replaceable to begin the 2025 season, but if the Padres are once again buyers at the deadline, hopefully, Preller can pull off another savvy move to bring in whatever is needed in the back end of the bullpen.

Q: Should the Padres consider trading Jake Cronenworth to ensure payroll flexibility heading into next season? He’s shown signs of decline and is entering his age 31 season.

A: (Jim) They should absolutely try and trade Jake because they need payroll flexibility but also because of his signs of decline. Trading him will not be easy.

Q: How do the Padres replenish the starting rotation with Joe Musgrove out the entirety of 2025? Is Adrian Morejon a potential fit?

A: (Jon) I think they’ll need to fill the void by potentially adding multiple starting pitchers. Maybe they’ll find an undervalued pitcher via free agency or maybe they’ll stretch out Morejon and others. Maybe a combination of both. Even with an offseason to prepare for the loss of Musgrove, it’s still a significant hurdle to overcome.

Q: What does a reunion between Jurickson Profar and the Padres look like? Can he come close or replicate his 2024 season?

A: (Jim) He’s probably the hardest contract to predict this offseason because does he want $15-20 million per year? Or would he be willing to take $8-10 million per year? He played like a $15-20 million per year player, But I wouldn’t give him that in free agency. Also, his last few months of the season were more towards the real Profar than All-Star Profar. It’s hard for me to think he can back up a career year with another career type of year.

Q: Do the Padres give any thought to the idea of bringing up Ethan Salas or Leodalis De Vries at any point in 2025?

A: (Jon) They shouldn’t. Both need to be fully developed and could use at least another year of season. The soonest we should see either in the Big Leagues is 2026.

Q: Aside from Mike Shildt’s potential extension and re-signing Ruben Niebla, should the Padres also consider keeping hitting coach Victor Rodriguez long-term?

A: (Jim) They should bring everyone back and keep this coaching staff together for the long haul. They’ve finally found a hitting coach that made significant improvements and and approach to this lineup. Give all of them extensions.

I would like to give a huge thank you to both Jon Schaeffer and Jim Russell for collaborating with me on this Q&A.

Tune into Jon & Jim Monday through Friday from 3 pm to 6 pm on San Diego Sports 760.

Armando Dueñas Jr.

Armando Duenas is a 24 year-old aspiring journalist. He is a native San Diegan who grew up in the South Bay area. A lifelong Padres fan and baseball enthusiast, he resides just about fifteen minutes from PETCO Park, where his love of the game began.