Ty France carried the Padres offense early when no one else would. Michael King anchored the starting rotation. Yuki Matsui emerged as a confident, high-leverage reliever. Walker Buehler went from a minor league signing to a game in the rotation.
And when the Padres needed to neutralize the heart of an opposing lineup, they turned to Adrian Morejón, who consistently delivered and often recorded more outs than initially called for.
All five played pivotal roles in the Padres’ season.
And all five could disappear next year.
They are part of a group of Padres who could become free agents after the World Series. The immediate futures of King and Matsui are tied to player options, while Nick Pivetta’s fate for the 2027 season will depend on whether the Padres weigh an injury-riddled sophomore season in San Diego against a team option.
Regardless, uncertainty over what next year’s core will look like weighed on an emotional Padres clubhouse following their season-ending 3-1 loss to the Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Division Series.
“I don’t know what the next step will be,” France said Wednesday evening.
The San Diego State product returned to the organization that signed him to a minor league contract this spring and became the Padres’ most consistent offensive hitter, posting career highs in OPS (.865) and home runs (21) while dishing out hits throughout the year.
Now, after relaunching his career in San Diego, he faces a future in limbo.
“I love this place,” France, 32, said. “I don’t know what the offseason is going to look like or what lies ahead…but I’ve said it since spring training: This is where I want to be. My heart is in San Diego.”
Across the clubhouse, teammates lined up one by one to embrace Morejón. Only Fernando Tatis Jr. has been with the organization longer than Cuban native Morejón, who was 16 when he signed with the club a decade ago.
Morejón has become one of the best relievers in baseball over the past two seasons. He figures to hold a sizable contract in free agency, and it remains unclear whether the Padres will be willing — or able — to meet the market rate for one of baseball’s key backup weapons in a lockdown.
But as he stood in front of his locker, Morejón, beloved by his teammates, coaches and fans, thought less about his future than about the people and experiences that had defined him.
“Right now I’m starting to think about everything that’s happened in the last 10 years,” Morejón said, wiping away tears. “You know, all the coaches (I’ve known) since 2016. … So, it’s hard for me.”
Morejón maintained throughout the season that he and his agent would wait until the offseason to discuss his future. His conversations with Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller went no further than reaffirming that his focus remained solely on pitching and helping the Padres win.
When asked if he wanted to stay with the organization, Morejón’s response was quick.
“Yeah,” he said. “Everyone knows that. …Let’s see what happens.”
On the other side of the clubhouse, King contemplated his own future.
“That’s where we started a family,” King said. “We started our foundation here. San Diego has been amazing to me, and it’s all over the country from home. But now I feel like I have a second home on the West Coast, so it’s been great. And yeah, I hope to continue.”
King can opt out of a contract structured to essentially pay him $22 million for one year, $45 million for two years or $75 million for three years.
King was the ace of the rotation and allowed just one run in 14 innings during this year’s playoffs. If he chooses to test the market, the right-hander should attract considerable interest in what is considered a weaker starting pitcher market.
King’s departure would leave an already thin rotation with another significant hole.
There will probably be more than one to fill as well.
Buehler, 32, went from a lottery ticket in spring training to holding a spot in the rotation all season.
Only King has been more consistent than Buehler, a two-time World Series champion with the Dodgers who appears to have gotten his career back on track after a second elbow reconstruction wrecked his first foray into free agency.
In San Diego, among other places.
“I would love to come back,” Buehler said. “I think after what I’ve been through the last two years, you just want to be somewhere and dig in a little bit, especially considering what I went through earlier in my career. You want to be a part of it. I think at the beginning of the year, wearing this jersey was a little strange for me, but at the end of the day you learn to love a group more than anything the jersey says.
“So yeah, I’d love to come back.”
The potential departures extend to the bullpen, where Jason Adam has been a reliable right-hander since arriving in a trade at the 2024 deadline.
The reliever, who posted a 1.92 ERA during his time with the Padres, is also headed to free agency.
“I haven’t given much thought to what lies ahead, but yeah, I’ve let everyone know that I love this place,” Adam said. “I love this team, I love this organization, I love the fans. I’ve loved living here the last few years. … I tell AJ every time I see him, ‘Hey, take me back.’ But it was all just light and joking. But it’s authentic.
For Preller and the Padres, the job of determining who stays and who goes was already looming as players embraced in the clubhouse Wednesday night.
“We’ll start looking at the offseason and next year,” he said. “And so it starts (Thursday).”
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