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The San Diego Padres have seen their roster change in many ways with the conclusion of the World Series. Players who were eligible became free agents, 137 according to the MLBPA, were announced earlier this week and players with options have started making their decisions to remain with their team or test free agency.
San Diego saw Dylan Cease, Luis Arraez, Ryan O’Hearn, Nestor Cortes, Jose Iglesias and Martin Maldonado become free agents. Additionally, Michael King and Robert Suarez have opted out of their contracts and join the free agent pool. The Padres announced Tuesday they declined options on Elias Diaz, Kyle Hart and Tyler Wade.
There is a limited window where the team can exclusively negotiate with their players to try to re-sign them before they are able to listen to offers from all MLB teams. The Padres will surely talk with a couple of the afore mentioned players, but which one would the Friar Faithful like to see back in San Diego in 2026? That is our Gaslamp Ball Reacts Poll question this week.