San Diego, which has a lot of money to spend, has begun to overhaul its roster. Players who are needed by the team, but are not prioritized, will leave the team first. It will be interesting to see what San Diego will do with the money they save.
As soon as the Major League Baseball free agency market opened, San Diego made a move. The Padres officially announced on Friday that they will not exercise team options on two of their key mound players, right-hander Nick Martinez, 33, and right-hander Michael Wacka, 32. Both players were under guaranteed contracts through this year and had team options for the next two years. By not exercising the options, San Diego is letting both players walk. 토토
Both were solid performers on the mound for the team. Martinez, who returned to the majors after playing in Japan and signing with San Diego in 2022, went 4-4 with a 3.47 ERA in 47 games (10 starts) last year. He split time between the starting rotation and the bullpen. For his contributions, he was rewarded with a $10 million contract this year, with options for two more years in 2024 and 2025. The next two years were $16 million per year for a total of $32 million.
Martinez pitched relatively well this year, going 6-4 with a 3.43 ERA in 63 games (nine starts). He was worth his $10 million salary. However, San Diego didn't want to pay Martinez $32 million over the next two years. One could argue that they couldn't afford it.
The same goes for Waka. Waka was signed for $7.5 million this year and, like Martinez, had an option. He's due $16 million in 2024 and $32 million in 2025, with a $6 million player option for 2026. Waka's performance in the team's starting rotation this year, starting 24 games and going 14-4 with a 3.22 ERA, made it interesting to see if the option would be exercised. However, the answer for San Diego was once again no.
Based on their performances this year, the $16 million salary for next year might not have been a lot of money. Martinez was one of the key pillars of the team's bullpen, and Waka was a resource who won 14 games as a starter. But San Diego is in desperate need of shedding payroll right now. Juan Soto, Ha-Sung Kim, and other upcoming free agents are big. It was widely expected that the team would trim its payroll by releasing Martinez and Waka, both of whom have team options.
San Diego is set to lose closer Josh Hader, who made $14.1 million this year, and ace Blake Snell, who made $16.6 million. Their salaries alone will clear about $30 million. Add to that Martinez and Waka, and you're looking at more than $50 million in savings at the expense of a weakened bullpen.
Locally, it's believed that San Diego will use the money to expand its pitching depth. Juan Soto and Ha-Sung Kim will hit free agency after the 2024 season. Both players, especially Soto, will cost an astronomical amount of money to acquire, and are immediately being traded. Kim has also proven himself worthy of an average of $15 million per year. Add to that the names of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Lee Jung-hoo, all of whom San Diego has consistently expressed interest in in free agency. The observation is that they needed a shot in the arm.
However, with Snell, Martinez, Heider, and Waka all gone, San Diego's bullpen is inevitably weak. The Padres have shown interest in Yamamoto, but the competition is fierce. If they don't land Yamamoto, it's possible they'll look for low-cost, high-efficiency arms to fill out the mound. If the Dodgers want to make the postseason next year, they're going to need a mound overhaul.