The Padres will spend to win. This has to be taken as a given by now.
Just to be sure, however, Padres Chairman Peter Seidler was asked this week whether the payroll for 2023 would stay near its current level.
"I kind of like spending money," Seidler said with a grin. "You can't take it with you."
Seidler also gave his standard disclaimer about spending "wisely." His chief roster architect, A.J. Preller, gave his usual spiel about there being several different ways to acquire players and committing the big bucks not being the only means by which a team can successfully do so.
But as the offseason begins — later than normal for the Padres and with arguably higher expectations than ever — recent history suggests Padres fans can be confident the organization will spend the winter trying to make sure next summer and fall bring more excitement.
"We're good," Seidler said, "and we have to protect that and enhance it."
It seems clear the people in charge feel the obligation to do so — following a run to the National League Championship Series — more than at any point during at least the past quarter-century.
"There's a difference," Seidler said. "This city hasn't had a championship team. … And so getting over the belief hump is meaningful. I think our fans incrementally believed. But then last year we fell off a cliff. The year before, we got swept ultimately by L.A. after beating St. Louis (in the postseason), which was meaningful. But I think this year we showed by (winning) … there's real belief in this city now."
Seidler and others in the organization have spoken of the potential lifelong fans the Padres gained just from the experience of the four home playoff games and the responsibility the team has because of that.
"We're seeding great fans for life," Seidler said. "And now from our standpoint, we've always had an obligation, and it's at a higher level now. That's good."
The Padres finished the 2022 season ranked sixth in the major leagues with a payroll of around $214 million this season.
They have about $187 million in commitments for 2023. That number includes arbitration projections and the more than $12 million the Padres will send the Red Sox for taking Eric Hosmer. It does not include the $19 million guaranteed Nick Martinez, Jurickson Profar and Robert Suarez, who all can opt out of their contracts within five days of the conclusion of the World Series.
The good news for the Padres: They are building from a foundation that includes a number of essential players under team control.
Yu Darvish and Blake Snell are in the final years of contracts the Padres inherited when they traded for the two starting pitchers before the 2021 season. Joe Musgrove will be in the first year of his five-year contract extension. Jake Cronenworth, Juan Soto and Josh Hader are at various points in their arbitration years. Manny Machado is in the fifth year of his 10-year contract, Fernando Tatis Jr. in the third year of his 14-year contract and Ha-Seong Kim in the third year of his four-year pact.
"Every year is it is a completely different team," Seidler said. "But what I like is we've got the stability. We've got the top three guys at the top of the rotation. Our bullpen became good. Assuming we're rolling out — and I know we will — Tatis, Machado, Soto and let's not forget Croney, as well as a bunch of others, we have a great core to build from."
They have a lot of work to do.
Among the big-ticket items the Padres seek this winter is a first baseman and/or designated hitter, one or two starting pitchers (two if Martinez leaves) and a left fielder (if Profar leaves).
"Peter has given us the resources, and I think it's pretty clear that he wants to win a championship," Preller said. "But to win a championship doesn't mean you have to have a payroll at 'X' level or anything like that. It just means you have to have a complete team that has a lot of different answers for the things are going to come up through the season. Sometimes that calls for players and free agency trades, players of different caliber and different dollar amounts. We'll sit down here. The process started (Monday). I think playing this deep is awesome and fun and also, we've got some work cut out for us."
