PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Padres still need a bat -- at least one.

Lately, however, they've watched option after option come off the board, leaving their search for an offensive upgrade with fewer avenues than before. Nelson Cruz is a National. Seiya Suzuki is reportedly a Cub. Kyle Schwarber is reportedly a Phillie.

To varying degrees, San Diego had interest in all three -- particularly Suzuki, who met with team officials at Petco Park over the weekend. But the Padres were outbid by the Cubs on Wednesday morning. Chicago agreed with Suzuki on a five-year, $85 million deal, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported.

So there are fewer options available than maybe there were a week ago. That doesn't mean there are no options. Solid up the middle, the Padres' search has been centered mostly around corner outfield/DH-types.

"In the outfield, that's a spot that for sure we're going to look at," president of baseball operations A.J. Preller said Monday. "We're looking at a corner-outfield bat and then some type of DH production."

The top two free agent outfielders would cost a pretty penny -- Kris Bryant and Nick Castellanos. Both are 30 and the first couple seasons of any long-term contract would fit snugly into the Padres' window. But it's not clear whether the Padres would pony up for either of those two, given the length a deal might require.

In 2021, the Padres boasted the highest payroll in franchise history and were reportedly one of two teams to exceed the collective bargaining tax threshold. They didn't enter the ’22 season planning to send that number too much higher. But chairman Peter Seidler has proven that he's willing to readjust his spending plans if the right situation were to arise. (See: Machado, Manny.)

"From a long-term perspective, we might be a budget-driven organization," Seidler said Tuesday. “Year to year, we build our core. Then if interesting situations pop up, we give them full consideration."

Castellanos and Bryant certainly qualify as "interesting situations." But the calculus is more than just those two.

The Padres are actively exploring trade avenues for outfielders. Michael Conforto and Jorge Soler remain available from the next tier of free agents. A reunion with Tommy Pham on a one-year deal is possible.

And then there's the question of whether the Padres would shed salary to take on salary. Like they did at the Trade Deadline, they've shopped Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers -- both of whom will make just over $20 million this season. To deal either of those two -- particularly Hosmer, who has four years remaining on his deal -- they'd need to attach a prospect and perhaps eat some of that money.

At last summer's Trade Deadline, the Padres opted not to part with either. They also came up empty-handed in their quest for what they needed and spiraled afterward.

This spring, the Padres need offense. They needed it before they lost Fernando Tatis Jr. for three months to a fractured wrist. They need it even more now. The only three outfield options on their 40-man roster are Myers, Trent Grisham and Jurickson Profar. As things stand, the Padres are looking at a 7-8-9 of Profar, Victor Caratini and Ha-Seong Kim, none of whom had a batting average above .230 or an OPS above .650 last season.

Considering the investment elsewhere in the roster, the Padres simply cannot afford a rerun of last summer's Trade Deadline. Busy as ever in the front office, they don’t intend to get one either. The moves are coming, sources say. What moves, exactly? Stay tuned.