San Diego had the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers down 2-1 in the 2024 National League Division Series before squandering that lead and losing 3-2 in the end. San Diego was touted by many as having the most talented roster in the Major Leagues last time out.

For much of the offseason, as the Padres' payroll teetered around the collective bargaining tax, external speculation centered around which players they might trade in order to stay below that number.

I think we have a team, like you saw last year, that’s capable of going down and accomplishing our goal,” Greupner said.

As it stands, San Diego has $196.93 million on their books for 2025. Seeing that they dipped below the first tax threshold in 2024, the Padres would need to exceed $241 million in payroll for next season to pay a first-year Competitive Balance overage tax of 20 percent.