The Padres’ cover has been blown.

After two offseasons of essentially sneaking up on baseball by signing Eric Hosmer and Manny Machado in February, the Padres are now seen as players in free agency from the start of the offseason.

And as the 2020 hot stove gets lit, it seems clear they will be cooking again.

Whether the Padres land one of the prized starting pitchers or simply add a bat, multiple people in the organization indicated over the past few days that the team will be in position to make a run at Stephen Strasburg, the World Series MVP who on Saturday opted out of his contract with the Nationals.


The 31-year-old West Hills High and San Diego State alumnus was due $100 million over the next four seasons. He is coming off a career year, leading the National League in innings (209) and wins (18) and going 5-0 with a 1.98 ERA in six postseason starts.

The belief in baseball is the Nationals are the favorites to keep Strasburg — just at a higher price than previously committed. However, San Diego County is where Stephen and Rachel Strasburg’s parents both live.

Strasburg and Gerrit Cole, whose 2.50 ERA and 326 strikeouts with the Astros led the American league, will top the list of available free agents. Cole is two years younger than Strasburg and doesn’t have the injury history Strasburg does, so he is expected to command a larger contract.

That could be why a couple of the four people who spoke in cryptically optimistic terms of the Padres’ offseason plans seemed more focused on Strasburg than Cole. Those who spoke did so on the condition of anonymity and were unable and/or unwilling to provide details of the Padres’ plans.


It is early in the process, and the Padres have shown (with the $444 million given Hosmer and Machado) that their plans can change.

Even before Strasburg’s availability became official, Padres officials were quietly talking about ways in which they would up the payroll. They know the chance for success in 2020, a season they have identified as the opening of their window of contention, requires the addition of at least a top-tier left-handed bat and would be bolstered another solid starting pitcher.

Due to their abundance of highly-touted prospects and some young major leaguers that have drawn interest from other teams, the trade market is still where the Padres would seem to have the most ability to acquire outside help.

It is not known how far above the final 2019 expenditure of $124.8 million the Padres will rise for 2020, but one highly placed source said the Padres should be in the “middle of the pack” by opening day. The average MLB payroll was slightly more than $137 million in 2019.


The Padres’ current commitment, which include estimates of arbitration awards and some players who will likely be gone, is just below $120 million.