No Deal in Sight: Padres Not Expected to Trade Fan Favorite All-Star Closer

The San Diego Padres want to strengthen their roster this offseason without raising the payroll by too much which is they have reportedly been exploring trades.

One of the names that has popped up is closer Robert Suarez.

Suarez is set to make $10 million in 2025, but his ability to opt out of his contract after next season complicates his trade value. Combine that with reliever Tanner Scott most likely signing elsewhere as a free agent and the Padres aren’t likely to trade Suarez, according to The Athletic’s Dennis Lin.

Suarez was undoubtedly one of the league’s top relievers this season. He opened the year with a dominant 0.40 ERA over his first 21 outings and earned his first MLB All-Star selection. Even more impressive, Suarez held opponents scoreless in 80 percent of his regular season appearances, relying primarily on his fastball for most of the year.

While Suarez was dominant in the first half of the season, he began to waver down the stretch. At one point, he allowed at least one run in eight of 18 appearances, raising his ERA from 1.42 to 2.76. With multiple reliable relievers in the bullpen, the Padres had to evaluate their options for closing games as October drew near.

This winter, the Padres are focused on improving three areas – catching, corner outfield, and starting pitching.

The Padres made what they considered “a very fair offer” to Kyle Higashioka before the veteran catcher signed with Texas earlier this month, Preller explained. This leaves San Diego needing at least one catcher, possibly two. Luis Campusano ended a lackluster 2024 season in Triple-A, and the team is now in search of a starting-caliber option behind the plate.

Jurickson Profar remains available which has the Padres looking to find a left fielder and the starting rotation is like a jigsaw puzzle for the front office.

San Diego is reportedly a top-two favorite to land Japanese free agent pitcher Roki Sasaki and even if they were to sign Sasaki, they would still need to add one or two rotation-ready arms. The team has considered transitioning a few relievers into starting roles but plans to prioritize exploring the trade market and free agency first.

“We’ll keep making phone calls,” president of baseball operations A.J. Preller said. “We’ll be prepared over the next couple weeks. Got a better sense here this week on some guys we like, how that process will work. We’ll be prepared at the right time.”