SAN DIEGO — The Padres reorganized their roster ahead of Friday’s deadline to tender contracts to players.
Most notably, the club agreed to a one-year contract with utilityman Tyler Wade, with a team option for the 2026 season.
The Padres did not offer contracts to four players: right-handed pitchers Logan Gillaspie and Luis Patiño, outfielder Bryce Johnson, and shortstop Mason McCoy. The four are now free agents.
This is what it all implies.
Six Padres remain up for arbitration.
With Friday’s transactions, the Padres’ roster now stands at 33 players. Aside from those four non-tenders, they extended contracts to all of their other players.
At the start of the day, San Diego had eight players eligible for arbitration. Patiño (now a free agent) and Wade (who signed a contract) were among the players featured in this number.
What about the remaining six?
• Luis Arraez, Dylan Cease, and Michael King are approaching their final year of arbitration eligibility before becoming free agents next winter.
• Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon, and Luis Campusano have several years of team control remaining after reaching arbitration eligibility this winter.
The Padres will now work with those six players to determine a pay for the 2025 season. If they cannot agree, the salary will be determined through arbitration.
It has never reached that point in the previous ten offseasons under general manager A.J. Preller. The Padres have not had a case go to arbitration since Andrew Cashner in 2014.
Wade plays a familiar role in a team-friendly arrangement.
Wade did a little of everything during his debut season with the Padres. He played every outfield and infield position but first base. Wade found a place as a pinch runner, and he received increased playing time early in the season when Manny Machado’s right elbow surgery forced him to play DH, and again late in the season when Ha-Seong Kim missed the final few weeks due to a right shoulder injury.
Wade batted in around 90 games.217. The Padres might need a little more offensive production, but they’ll expect Wade to deliver more of the same in 2025. For all intents and purposes, he’s their 26th guy, a dependable clubhouse presence who can fill in anywhere.
Furthermore, Wade was set to become a free agency following the 2025 season. By signing him to a contract with a 2026 team option, the Padres will be able to bring him back at a reasonable price if he plays well in 25.
The Padres can still bring back their non-tenders.
Gillaspie, Patiño, Johnson, and McCoy are currently free agents. All four have the potential to be effective depth pieces. However, the Padres did not want to commit major league money to that bunch.
Patiño was the only non-tender who had attained arbitration eligibility, which meant he was set to earn more than the league minimum. The right-hander is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and was always expected to be non-tendered.
Johnson’s importance diminished, however, when the team traded for Brandon Lockridge, who became the key defensive substitute in the outfield and a strong stolen-base threat as a pinch runner.
McCoy was a great defensive shortstop, but he didn’t bat well enough to keep the job after Kim was hurt. Gillaspie alternated between Triple-A and the Majors numerous times, surrendering nine runs in 11 1/3 major league innings.
The Padres could conceivably bring back any of those four on minor league contracts. However, those players can now test the open market for big league positions elsewhere.
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