The San Diego Padres are entering an offseason where tough decisions will have to be made.
A host of integral players from the last few years have hit the free agent market
, chief among them Michael King and Adrian Morejon. Coupled with that includes the reality that Walker Buehler and Nick Pivetta will also be in search of a new deal. Robbie Ray and Casey Mize are likely to be wearing new uniforms in 2027.
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With the rotation totally up in the air at this given time, the Padres may be forced to fill out their lineup with bargain signings as the lion's share of the resources may be instead allotted for starting pitching.
Veteran outfielder Ramon Laureano is also one of the impending free agents for San Diego. According to Spotrac
, Laureano's market value is estimated at $11.1 million over one year.
Should the Padres Bring Back Ramon Laureano?
This would represent a very team-friendly deal for Laureano. San Diego would retain flexibility moving forward with the commitment theoretically being only a year long. If the Padres get off to a slow start, Laureano in theory could then be flipped as a rental for prospect capital.
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Laureano is at worst an average player at this stage in his career. Even though he had a rough 2026 season dealing with injury, the deeper analytics indicates a player that can still barrel the ball up quite well. One can assume he'll want to reset his value after an unfortunate 2026.
With that in mind, the Padres could cash in and ink him to a deal that's palatable for both parties. Laureano hit .203 with seven home runs and 21 RBIs across 182 at-bats. A labrum tear in his hip
caused him to play in only 53 games.
Now with the hip surgically repaired, Laureano should be ready to return to the form he demonstrated in 2025 when he hit a career-high 24 home runs with a rock-solid .281 batting average. He's also allegedly a very well-liked player in the clubhouse.
Who Would Replace Ramon Laureano if He's Not Re-Signed?
Should the Padres ultimately move on from Laureano, Samad Taylor likely would be the front-runner to man the left field spot, likely in a platoon with Dustin Harris. Both players came out of nowhere to be very valuable for the Padres this year.
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Taylor, 28, hit .316 in 175 plate appearances. Harris, 27, hit .322 in 100 plate appearances. The Padres may opt to roll with the younger, far cheaper options given Laureano's expected asking price coupled with his recent injury history.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/padres/onsi as Forgotten Padres All-Star Projected to Sign 1-Year, $11 Million Deal in Free Agency
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