Preller talks top offseason priorities: Yu's future, Miller's role & more

SAN DIEGO -- Padres general manager A.J. Preller held his end-of-season press conference on Tuesday, and, naturally, the focus centered around the forthcoming managerial search and Preller’s own status.

But Preller addressed plenty of on-field questions as well. And while questions about the team’s leadership took center stage, Preller touched on some key on-field issues, as well. Here’s a recap:

Yu Darvish's status

In the aftermath of Darvish’s Wild Card Series start in Chicago, the veteran right-hander said it was too soon -- the loss still too raw -- to talk about what comes next.

“That’s something I’ll go into the offseason and think about,” Darvish said. “I can’t really wrap my mind around that right now.”

That Darvish even alluded to an impending decision was noteworthy. He has three years remaining on his contract. But his last few seasons have been injury-plagued, and it’s unclear whether Darvish is pondering retirement. If not, it’s unclear whether Darvish would need further steps to resolve the elbow issue that limited him to 15 starts this season.

Preller said he’s been in regular conversation with Darvish since the end of the season.

“We’ll keep talking to him over the course of the next couple weeks to see what it means for him,” Preller said. “He’s a big part of the organization.”

The Mason Miller question

After Preller swung a Deadline blockbuster to acquire Miller, there was plenty of external speculation that Miller might eventually be converted into a starting pitcher. Internally, that discussion was tabled for a later date. The Padres were in the thick of a playoff race.

Well, this is that later date. Miller dominated on the postseason stage, setting numerous velocity and strikeout records. The Padres have him under team control for the next four seasons. Their bullpen is already excellent, and there are holes in the rotation. Theoretically, Miller could provide extra value as a starter. But there’s nothing theoretical about Miller in the ‘pen, where he’s a proven commodity and perhaps the best relief weapon in the sport.

“The good news is he’s one of the great talents in the game,” Preller said. “He can do a lot of things on the mound. We’ve seen obviously the dominance with the fastball/slider mix, the changeup coming into play. We’ve had some success here, making guys starters.

“At the end of the day, we’ll get together as a group, we’ll have our thoughts, we’ll definitely get Mason’s thoughts and see what he thinks is best. We’ll see how the offseason plays out, roster-wise. And then we’ll have some clear direction for him.”

An Ethan Salas update

Salas, the Padres’ top-ranked prospect, was initially part of the team’s Arizona Fall League roster. But he was removed from that roster just before the season was scheduled to start, while he continues to deal with a stress reaction in his back that forced him to miss nearly the entire season.

The top international prospect in the 2023 class -- and, at one time, the best catching prospect in baseball -- Salas’ stock has taken a hit because of the injury. Initially, the Padres forecasted a three-month absence, but it has lingered well beyond that.

Preller reiterated that the Padres are taking a cautious approach. It’s possible Salas could play winter ball, he said, but that’s not the priority.

“Ethan’s doing well, he’s starting to swing the bat, get into baseball activity,” Preller said. “It’s not really a setback. It’s just been us and our medical staff, our doctors, our specialists that we’ve talked to about Ethan, just understanding he’s 19 years old, and this is all about the next 10 years.”

Offseason priorities

“The core foundation, in terms of the position-player group and the bullpen, is there,” Preller said.

Then, after he was done discussing the stability in those two areas, Preller dropped the obvious:

“Starting pitching,” he said, “is a clear area of need.”

That’s the priority. Michael King and Dylan Cease are slated to leave in free agency. Darvish’s status remains uncertain. Joe Musgrove is set to return from Tommy John surgery, and he’ll front the rotation alongside Nick Pivetta. Randy Vásquez should fill out a back-end spot.

But beyond that, there are question marks. The Padres need to add multiple starting-pitching options this winter, and it’s unclear what kind of budget they’ll have for it. They’ve been faced with this challenge before, and they’ve consistently passed the test, turning under-the-radar signings like Pivetta and Seth Lugo into aces. Can they do it again?