Busy Winter Ahead: Padres Manager Expects AJ Preller to Make Big Moves

So far this offseason, the San Diego Padres have been rather quiet — which is a little unexpected considering how loud their National League West rivals have been.

But there is no reason to panic.

Manager Mike Shildt is confident that general manager A.J. Preller has something “up his sleeves.”

“Our man Preller, he sleeps very little,” Shildt said on Foul Territory. “He plays a little hoops and then he is looking to dominate every day on behalf of the Padres. Does he have something up his sleeve? He’s got stuff up both sleeves, down his pants, in his shoes, he’s got stuff going on everywhere… I couldn’t even begin to keep up with hardly any of it. I just tell him when he gets close to something to let me know.”

The top priority for the Padres this winter should be signing a front-end starting rotation pitcher and re-signing outfielder Jurickson Profar.

As far as the starting pitching is concerned, the Padres have a good chance at signing Japanese free-agent starter Roki Sasaki. They have plenty of time to work on the details.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred previously indicated that the 23-year-old Japanese pitching sensation is likely to join the 2025 international signing class. This means Sasaki wouldn’t sign with an MLB team until Jan. 15, the start of the league’s international signing period.

In Japan’s top professional league, Sasaki posted a 30-15 record with a 2.02 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP, and 524 strikeouts across 414.2 innings in 69 games. He also delivered one of the most remarkable pitching performances in baseball history, striking out 19 batters during a perfect game against the Orix Buffaloes in April 2022.

The Padres are reportedly one of two favorites to land Sasaki with the other being the Los Angeles Dodgers.

David Schoenfield of ESPN.com previously predicted Sasaki to land in San Diego.

“The Padres would be a great fit – and perhaps none of the likeliest suitors need Sasaki quite as much as the Padres. Their payroll is already close to maxed out, and that’s without re-signing Jurickson Profar or Ha-Seong Kim – two players they could use. Plus, Joe Musgroce will sit out 2025 after elbow surgery, so there is a need for a starter to challenge the Dodgers’ supremacy in the NL West.”