Three moves Padres could make to boost fan morale before FanFest

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The Padres are hosting their annual FanFest at Petco Park on Saturday, February 1. If they don’t make a move or two to improve the team before then, the mood may be somber among fans.

To say it has been a disappointing offseason for Padres fans would be like saying the U.S.S. Midway is a big boat, a massive understatement.

Padres fans have taken gut punch after gut punch. From the ownership dispute to losing the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes to the bitter rival Dodgers to watching Jurickson Profar smile as he dons his new threads as an Atlanta Brave, it has been brutal.

Fan morale seems like it is about as low as it has been in several years. It even seems lower than it did after the franchise traded away Juan Soto in December 2023.

The Padres host their annual FanFest this Saturday. That is usually a time for fans to get excited about the upcoming season before the team sets off for Spring Training later that month. At times, it’s been used to publicly reveal the newest, shiniest signing the franchise brought in that winter.

No such bright and shiny new objects have been obtained this winter.

Fans are incredibly frustrated. Rightfully so. Padres ownership, being Eric Kutsenda and the Seidler brothers, have been completely silent on the state of affairs regarding the lack of moves to improve the big league team. Whether that’s because they are trying to button things up behind closed doors with the lawsuit involving Peter’s widow, Sheel Seidler, or because they fear public scorn for their utter inaction this winter is up for debate.

The mood is somber ahead of a weekend that is supposed to be one of fun, excitement, and hope. Padres fans have been critically low on all three of those things since they were eliminated in the NLDS last October.

While things seem dire, there is still time to fix it. Yes, the regular season doesn’t start for another seven or eight weeks. Plenty of moves in the past have been made in February and March that proved crucial to the Padres’ success. A.J. Preller may yet do it again this time around.

Many fans wonder if he will even be allowed to make such moves by the ones up top who write his paycheck.

If he is given the green light to make any sort of move to improve the ball club in 2o25, it needs to happen soon. Here are three moves the Padres can make to boost fan morale ahead of the first public Padres event since early last October.

 

Sign J.D. Martinez

We get it; the Padres aren’t able to hand out $20+ million per year contracts right now. Those days are likely over for now. Ownership has made it clear they don’t want to engage in the arms race. However, Martinez is a proven slugger who played on a one-year, $12 million deal last season.

He did so for the Mets and put together a respectable year for a 37-year-old. With a .725 OPS and 106 OPS+, he had a slightly above-average year at the plate as a designated hitter.

Given that he didn’t light the world on fire and now he’s set to be 38 years old during the season, he might be able to be had for less than $12 million. FanGraphs projects him to get a one-year, $9 million deal. Getting a six-time All-Star, with 331 career home runs as your designated hitter, would be a nice boost for Padres fan morale.

Financially, they can make it work if the projections are true. The Padres should be able to find a way to sign an everyday veteran DH for less than $10 million. Even if Martinez ends up being an average bat, that is way better than what the Padres have to offer right now at the DH spot. Plus, the name recognition alone would lead to an automatic boost in the fanbase’s mood. Simply, fans want proof of life from the Padres brass. This would accomplish that.

Credit: AP Photo

Trade for a starting pitcher

There is a wide range of possibilities here. It could even involve trading away someone on the Padres’ own big-league roster. But the facts are the facts- the Padres desperately need more starting pitching. Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Yu Darvish are a solid top three. After that trio, the Padres currently will need to look to the likes of Randy Vasquez and Matt Waldron to round out the rotation. That’s not even considering the inevitable attrition that happens to any starting rotation. Eight different players made starts for San Diego in 2024. The fact that they have three, maybe four, reliable starters in the entire organization is a problem.

That problem compounds especially if the Padres decide to trade Cease or King, as rumors swirl about the availability of both Padres hurlers.

They need to add to the rotation. Marcus Stroman appears available after the Yankees signed Max Fried. The problem is, he earns $18 million this season. That likely is too rich for the Padres. Perhaps they can make a deal with New York that brings that payroll impact down, as the Yankees seem willing to do. The two-time All-Star would deepen the rotation, even if his best years are behind him.

San Diego could bring back old friend Chris Paddack, current Twins starter. Acquired by A.J. Preller in 2016 in the Fernando Rodney trade, Paddack pitched for three seasons in San Diego. He has been up and down with the Twins over the last few years. Over 24 starts, he has a 4.82 ERA since arriving in Minnesota. Perhaps acquainting him with Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla could revitalize his career.

Erick Fedde seems like the safest bet of the three mentioned. He is in a contract year with the Cardinals, who may be looking toward 2026 and beyond. Plus, his payroll number sits at just $7.5 million. The righty turned in a very solid 2024 (3.30 ERA, 126 ERA+).

Adding a veteran to the starting rotation with a trade would go a long way to boost overall outlook of the Padres. They need more depth in the rotation.

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Announce a significant extension for current Padres player

What fans truly want right now is proof of life from Padres’ leadership. Are they trying to contend for a World Series in 2025? Are they willing to spend any money on the current team? The contracts handed out by the previous regime with Peter Seidler doesn’t count. The current ownership group of Eric Kutsenda and the Seidler brothers don’t get to take credit for any free agent signings or extensions handed out up to last year.

This ownership group needs to show the fans that they are invested. That is, invested in the success of the present and future of the San Diego Padres. Announcing an extension for one of their big starters, like Michael King or Dylan Cease, would go a long way with fans. Luis Arraez‘s current deal also expires after this next season.

Unfortunately, there are more rumors about the Padres possibly trading Cease or King rather than extending them.

Fans need the Padres to show they simply care. Paying one of their current best players to stay in San Diego long-term would do the trick. Now would be a good time.

For anyone interested, the Padres announced on their website that Padres leadership will hold a forum at Gallagher Square on Saturday at 12:15 pm PT.

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