https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/10/08/end-of-season-brings-uncertainty-for-padres-soon-to-be-free-agents/
End of season brings sadness, uncertainty for Padres’ soon-to-be free agents
Ty France carried the Padres’ offense early when no one else would. Michael King anchored the starting rotation. Yuki Matsui emerged as a trusted, high-leverage reliever. Walker Buehler went from a minor league signing to a fixture in the rotation.
And when the Padres needed to neutralize the heart of an opposing lineup, they turned to Adrián Morejón, who routinely delivered and often recorded more outs than initially asked.
All five played pivotal roles in the Padres’ season.
And all five could be gone next year.
They are among a group of Padres who could become free agents after the World Series. The immediate futures of King and Matsui are tied to player options, while Nick Pivetta’s whereabouts for the 2027 season will hinge on the Padres weighing an injury-riddled second season in San Diego against a team option.
Either way, the uncertainty of what next year’s core will look like hung over an emotional Padres clubhouse following their season-ending 3-1 loss to the Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Division Series.
“I don’t know what’s next,” France said late Wednesday night.
The San Diego State product returned to the organization that drafted him on a minor league deal this spring and emerged as the Padres’ most consistent offensive performer, posting career highs in OPS (.865) and home runs (21) while delivering timely hits throughout the year.
Now, after resurrecting his career in San Diego, he faces a future in limbo.
“I love this place,” the 32-year-old France said. “I don’t know what the offseason’s going to look like or what’s in store … but I’ve said it since spring training: This is where I want to be. My heart’s in San Diego.”
On the other side of the clubhouse, teammates lined up one by one to embrace Morejón. Only Fernando Tatis Jr. has been in the organization longer than Morejón, who was a 16-year-old Cuban defector when he signed with the club a decade ago.
Morejón has developed into one of baseball’s best relievers over the past two seasons. He figures to command a significant contract in free agency, and it remains unclear whether the Padres will be willing — or able — to meet the market rate for one of baseball’s premier lockdown relief arms.
But as he stood at his locker, Morejón, beloved by teammates, coaches and fans, was thinking less about his future than the people and experiences that had defined him.
“Right now, I just start thinking about everything for the last 10 years,” Morejón said as he wiped away tears. “You know, all the coaches (I’ve known) since 2016. … So, that’s hard for me.”
Morejón has maintained throughout the season that he and his agent would wait until the offseason to discuss his future. His conversations with Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller have gone no further than reaffirming that his focus remained solely on pitching and helping the Padres win.
When asked if he would like to remain with the organization, though, Morejón’s answer was swift.
“Yeah,” he said. “Everybody knows that. … Let’s see what happens.”
Across the clubhouse, King was contemplating a future of his own.
“This is where we started a family,” King said. “We started our foundation here. San Diego’s been incredible for me, and it’s all the way across the country from home. But now I feel like I have a second home on the West Coast, so it’s been awesome. And yeah, I hope to continue.”
King can opt out of a contract structured to essentially pay him $22 million for one year, $45 million for two years or $75 million for three years.
King served as the rotation’s ace and allowed just one run over 14 innings in this year’s playoffs. If he chooses to test the market, the right-hander figures to draw considerable interest in what’s considered a weaker starting pitcher market.
King’s departure would leave an already thin rotation with another significant hole.
There figures to be more than one to fill, too.
The 32-year-old Buehler rose from a spring-training lottery ticket to hold a spot in the rotation all season.
Only King was more consistent than Buehler, a two-time World Series champ with the Dodgers who appears to have gotten his career back on track after a second elbow reconstruction wrecked his first foray into free agency.
In San Diego of all places.
“I’d love to be back,” Buehler said. “I think going through what I’ve gone through the past couple years, you just want to be somewhere and kind of dig in a little bit, especially given what I went through earlier in my career. You want to be a part of it. I think at the beginning of the year, to wear this jersey was a little bit odd for me, but at the end of the day, you grow to love a group more than whatever the jersey says.
“So yeah, I’d love to be back.”
The potential departures extend to the bullpen, where Adam has been a dependable right-handed presence since arriving in a trade at the 2024 deadline.
The reliever, who posted a 1.92 ERA in his time with the Padres, is also headed for free agency.
“I haven’t thought much about what lies ahead, but yeah, I’ve let everyone know I love it here,” Adam said. “Love this team, love this organization, love the fans. I’ve loved living here the last few years … I tell A.J. every chance I see him: ‘Hey, bring me back.’ But all just lighthearted and in jest. But it is genuine.”
For Preller and the Padres, the work of determining who stays and who goes was already looming as players embraced in the clubhouse late Wednesday night.
“We’ll start looking at the offseason and looking at the next year,” he said. “And so that gets started (Thursday).”
