Happy New Year, Padres fans!
With the start of 2026, baseball fans’ minds turn to the countdown to Spring Training and Opening Day of the season. For the San Diego Padres, there is still a lot to be settled
before the start of Spring Training in about six weeks. President of baseball operations/general manager A.J. Preller gave Padres fans an early holiday gift by signing starter Michael King to a three-year, $75 million contract that only guarantees one year of commitment but is an affordable $9 million maximum for 2026.
The organization also added to the bench by signing Korean infielder Sung-Mun Song to a four-year, $15 million contract that should provide bench depth at the very least. Depending on how Song adapts to MLB pitching, the versatile infielder could become a super utility or even an everyday option.
There have been a handful of players signed to minor league contracts, some with Spring Training invites, that could prove to be useful to the team in 2026. There is no doubt that more of those will be coming before the team opens the season in March. Although many of those signees in the past have disappointed, there is always the chance the Padres get another player of the quality of Gavin Sheets by taking fliers on these players.
Without knowing what the roster will look like on Opening Day (March 26, 2026), here are my thoughts on some New Year’s resolutions for the 2026 season. With first-year manager Craig Stammen and his coaching staff handling a star-filled team and inheriting a winning culture, hopes and expectations should remain high for the new season.
- Everyone not directly involved with managing the sale of the team needs to ignore the outside noise and concentrate on playing baseball. It would be easy for the uncertain future of the team to affect thinking and concentration within baseball operations. Preller and Stammen need to prioritize focusing the players on winning. The attitude that winning fixes everything is the way to proceed.
- Continue the style of play that the team has employed for the past two seasons. Former manager Mike Shildt might have had his issues in the organization, but his style of baseball is a winning style. Play clean, focused and energetic baseball with an emphasis on fundamentals and limiting errors. Keep the positive vibes and culture that has been established and build on that. Stammen basically said as much in the interviews following his introduction. He openly admires Shildt and pledged to build on what was already there.
- Be smart – manage the lineup with a combination of analytics and feel. Don’t get stuck with one way of thinking with lineup building but maintain open communication with the players and be flexible. It is hard to overstate the frustration felt by many fans and media members last season when the lineup posted every game almost never changed. This despite players struggling and multiple scoring opportunities falling to the wayside with the wrong player trying to drive in runs at the plate.
- The Luis Campusano problem has to be solved this spring. Campusano is out of options, he makes the team or has to clear waivers to stay in the organization. If he doesn’t play well during Spring Training, Preller will have to make a move. There will be no more stashing him in Triple-A. The Preller and manager (insert name) debate over Campusano will come to an end this year. The reluctance of said manager to play Campusano has been directly related to his failure to develop defensively as a catcher. If that remains a problem, then his bat will have to play to stay with the team.
- My final thought is more a wish than a resolution. Please, no more fliers on aged, washed-up veterans who aren’t willing to retire and will sign for minimal money in order to stay on the field. This has been a problem that goes back multiple seasons for this organization. It is painful for the fans, the manager, and wastes precious time during the early season while we all wait for someone to start hitting.
Spring Training 2026 will be a World Baseball Classic spring and opportunities will be more prolonged for the unproven and new players coming into the organization. With multiple members of the usual roster playing in the WBC, more players will get more time to show what they can do. The list of non-roster invitees will likely be long because of the WBC. Watching the Padres try out the potential hidden gems that Preller has spent the offseason mining is always interesting.
Hope should remain high for a team with many outstanding players. New manager Stammen has a talented team to help him work through his rookie transition. It’s a new season on the horizon and there is always hope.
