SAN DIEGO -- A.J. Preller has a noisy history at the Winter Meetings. In 2014, his first year as Padres general manager, he laid the groundwork for an organizational overhaul that landed William Myers and Matt Kemp.
The next three years weren't quite as earth-shattering, but they sure were eventful. Last December, Freddy Galvis, Chase Headley and Bryan Mitchell arrived to San Diego via Winter Meetings deals. And no team was more active in the Rule 5 Draft.
• Hot Stove Tracker
The stage is clearly set for more of the same this year. Preller and the Padres' contingent arrive in Las Vegas this weekend, ahead of four extremely busy days starting on Monday at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. The roster is nowhere near complete, and thus far, the offseason has offered few answers. If anything, it's only served to muddle things further.
Christian Villanueva and Cory Spangenberg were designated for assignment last month, meaning the starting third-base job is entirely wide open. Galvis hit free agency, too, meaning the same at shortstop.
Preller and the Padres will be looking to address some of those openings next week in Las Vegas. At the very least, his meetings with player agents and rival general managers should point the front office in the right direction.
Club needs
The left side of the infield is the most pressing situation. The current in-house options -- namely Ty France, Greg Garcia and Carlos Asuaje -- aren't likely to earn starting jobs. Myers is probably ticketed for a move from third base back to the outfield, where he's clearly more comfortable.

Speaking of the outfield, the Padres have six proven big leaguers there. It's not a lock that they deal one. But it would be a surprise if they didn't. Myers is an option to be traded, as are Hunter Renfroe, Franmil Reyes and Manuel Margot.
But for all the questions on offense, the biggest long-term issue facing the Friars is the starting pitching. They'll shore up the left side of their infield when Fernando Tatis Jr. arrives at some point during the season. The answers aren't so clear-cut in the rotation. That's why the Padres have been heavily linked to Chris Archer and Noah Syndergaard in the past six months.
As things stand, there's not a single place in the starting five that's guaranteed this spring. The Padres are deep on pitching prospects, but Preller is clearly searching for a more proven arm this offseason -- via trade or free agency.
Prospects to know
Tatis isn't going anywhere. He's ranked as MLB Pipeline's No. 2 overall prospect, and he's an integral part of the team's plans moving forward -- whether it's at shortstop or third base.

After Tatis, there's another tier of elite prospects who probably aren't going to be dealt. The Padres' system features 10 of the Top 100 overall, and it's highly unlikely MacKenzie Gore (No. 13), Francisco Mejia (No. 26), Luis Urias (No. 27) and Chris Paddack (No. 35) are going anywhere unless the club nets a big-name starting pitcher like Syndergaard.
If the Padres are going to make a smaller move, expect them to deal from their organizational pitching depth, with most of their big-name arms probably safe.
Rule 5 Draft
The tables have turned for Preller in the Rule 5 Draft. In 2015 and '16, he selected seven players, easily the most in baseball. Four of them remain with the organization.
This year, Preller has the deepest farm system in baseball, and he had to protect seven players by adding them to the 40-man roster when the November deadline rolled around.

Still, the Padres left new third baseman Jason Vosler exposed, and he's a prime candidate to be selected early. They could also be in danger of losing some of the depth options in their system, like outfielder Michael Gettys or right-hander Trevor Megill.
Payroll summary
The 2019 payroll is projected to sit around $80 million, with four players who still need to settle in arbitration. Forty-two percent of that money is going to Eric Hosmer and Myers.
In short, the Padres have cash to spend. It's unlikely they commit to a megadeal for Manny Machado or Bryce Harper, but they've been very active in their search for a starting pitcher.