GM Meetings help reveal Padres' priorities

LAS VEGAS -- The General Managers Meetings wrapped up on Wednesday, setting the stage for what figures to be an eventful offseason. Free agents can begin signing with other teams starting at 2 p.m. PT on Thursday.

Before that free-agent frenzy gets underway, here are three Padres takeaways from the GM Meetings in Las Vegas:

1. Pitching is the Padres' top priority
The top of the San Diego rotation is undeniably stable. But beyond Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove and Blake Snell, the depth is lacking. General manager A.J. Preller seems poised to address it.

First and foremost, the Padres are eagerly awaiting Nick Martinez's opt-out decision. Martinez has three years and $19.5 million remaining on his contract. He can opt out of that contract until 2 p.m. PT on Thursday afternoon. Preller acknowledged the possibility of a restructured deal for Martinez, as well.

"We've talked about a lot of different scenarios," Preller said at his Wednesday afternoon media availability. "Obviously, he could stay in the current deal. But then there are possibilities if he were to opt out. Or [we have] the ability to restructure the deal. We've gone through all different possibilities with him and his agents. We'll see where it goes."

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The Padres view Martinez as a starter, even though he spent the second half of the 2022 season in the bullpen. (They love that flexibility, too.)

But even if Martinez returns to San Diego, the Padres need more starting pitching, having lost Mike Clevinger and Sean Manaea to free agency and dealt MacKenzie Gore at the Trade Deadline.

"With Darvish, Snell, Musgrove as the foundation, we feel really good about the top of the rotation," Preller said. "We'll have conversations with Mike Clevinger and Sean and see where that goes.

"But every year you want to add starting pitching. You want to get depth. That was a big part of our success."

2. It's a crucial offseason in the Soto extension saga
One of the GM Meetings' surest spectacles is the throng of reporters from virtually all 30 teams who surround agent Scott Boras with questions about his clients.

The Padres, it just so happens, have one of Boras' most prominent clients -- Juan Soto. It’s likely Soto will open discussions about a potentially lucrative contract extension this winter.

"I don't think it's a question of if they'll do that," Boras said, when asked whether he expects the Padres to engage in contract talks. "I think the question is how they do that. I'm sure before they traded for him, they had a lot of that in mind."

Indeed, the Padres surrendered six players to acquire Soto and Josh Bell, and they did so with the vision that Soto would be in San Diego for "many years to come." Boras certainly seemed to indicate Soto would be open to those talks.

"The great thing is he had time to acclimate himself there," Boras said. "It's not exactly a difficult market to adjust to. I think he's enjoyed his time there and has certainly enjoyed the competitiveness of the team, being in the playoffs."

Soto, of course, is under contractual control for the next two seasons as he completes his salary arbitration years, so there's time for the two sides to nail down a deal. But this winter could be pivotal in at least laying the groundwork.

Said Preller: "At the right time, we'll sit down and talk with Juan and Scott Boras and his group and get a sense of what's important to them."

3. No, the Padres don’t yet know where Tatis will be playing
This isn’t Preller trying to play coy. The Padres legitimately aren’t certain whereFernando Tatis Jr. will be of best use to them defensively next season. That will be predicated, in large part, on the moves they make this winter.

“[His health] has been most of the conversation,” Preller said. “But I have talked with him personally about position. He wants to win. That’s the No. 1 thing. We want to get him back on the field.”

Tatis will spend the offseason recovering from shoulder and wrist surgeries, but the Padres anticipate he’ll be healthy by the start of camp. Tatis has always made it clear that shortstop is his preference. But when Tatis was on the verge of a return last season -- prior to his PED suspension -- he was preparing to split time between shortstop and center field.

Here’s a new possibility: Left fielder Jurickson Profar just opted out of his contract, leaving the Padres with a vacancy in one of their outfield corners. Preller noted that the team is very open to a reunion with Profar. But if not, he cited “internal options” for the vacant corner spot. Is Tatis one of those options?

“Those are conversations for the next few weeks,” Preller said. “That’s where you see what’s out there on the market. But really, honestly, the focus with Tati has been about his health. Now we’re at the stage where we’ll start sitting down with the coaching staff, with Fernando … and have more of those conversations.

“But it has not really been on our mind right now -- Tati in right field? Tati in left field? It’s: Let’s get him back on the field.”