3 San Diego Padres Who Won't Be Back in 2025

It was a heartbreaking finish to the season for the San Diego Padres, bowing out in the 5th and deciding game of the NLDS to the Los Angeles Dodgers. That followed a great regular season in which the Friars won 93 games (an 11-game improvement from 2023) and finished 2nd in the NL West.

But San Diego now faces a number of big offseason decisions as they assess how to move forward into 2025, notably with some key free agents.

With that, we have a look at three Padres who won't be back next season.

Ha-Seong Kim

The Gold Glove shortstop holds a mutual $10 million option with the team, but it's highly unlikely he'll accept it, as he would be due for a nice multi-year contract in free agency. He's established himself as one of the top defensive shortstops in baseball, while making himself into a reasonable offensive player as well.

While Sportrac currently projects Kim for a four-year, $49 million contract, other prognosticators have suggested that something north of a $75 million haul is quite possible.

Tanner Scott

The high-leverage reliever was a solid trade deadline pickup by the Friars, but coming off an All-Star season and a couple of years of elite back-end-of-the-bullpen work as a lefty, he'll be looking for a big contract in free agency, and as noted by Christopher Kline of FanSided, the Padres will "not overspend" in that department. Sportrac projects a 4 year, $65M contract for Scott.

The 30-year-old closer posted a 1.75 ERA and 22 saves with 10.5 K/9 this season.

Elias Diaz

With Kyle Higashioka and Luis Campusano as the Padres' main duo behind the plate, there was simply no room for Diaz to get himself into the equation after he was picked up late in the season. Yes, Higashioka is a free agent, but Kline notes that they will be inclined to bring him back, making Diaz an afterthought.