The fact that National League saves leader Robert Suarez exercised his option and opted out of his contract with the San Diego Padres was not a surprise. It has been long thought that this move was the reason Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller made the deal with the Athletics to acquire Mason Miller at the trade deadline. The move by Suarez became official Monday, making him a part of the 2025-26 free agent pool.
Suarez finished the 2025 season with 40 saves and a 2.97 ERA. He had four wins and six losses with 75 strikeouts. Suarez was regarded as one of the best closers in the game and was a key contributor to the San Diego bullpen in 2024 and 2025. He joined the Padres in 2022 and spent the first two years as a bullpen arm before taking over the closer role in 2024.
Suarez had a solid four years in San Diego and has an overall record of 22-13 with 77 saves, 20 holds, 219 strikeouts and a 2.91 ERA. The Padres, like every other team, will have an opportunity to re-sign Suarez, but based on the presence of Miller, the remaining bullpen arms with closing potential and the expectation that Suarez will get a substantially higher salary means we will not see him pitching for San Diego in 2026.
Wandy Peralta
It was also announced Monday that the left-hander exercised his option and opted in to his contract and will remain with the Padres. Peralta will make $4.45 million in 2026. He went 6-1 and finished with a 3.14 ERA last season. Peralta pitched 71 2/3 innings over 71 games, which included one start and 63 strikeouts.
Ha-Seong Kim
A surprising opt-out decision announced Monday came from the former Padre utility man, who passed on $16 million deal with the Atlanta Braves to become a free agent. Kim was a beloved member of the team during his time in San Diego. He could return to the Padres to resume his role, giving flexibility to the lineup for the yet to be named manager. Kim played both positions on the left side of the infield and second base during his tenure in San Diego, but it is hard to imagine a contract for Kim that would work with the Padres after he passed on $16 million.
Other opt-outs already announced are, Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz of the New York Mets, Cody Bellinger of the New York Yankees, Lucas Giolito and Alex Bregman of the Boston Red Sox. Additional names will be added in a later story.
