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The 2025 Outlook:
Coming off of two straight playoff appearances and the franchise’s fifth championship, The Padres open the season as the team to beat in the MLB. Riding the back of the most dominant pitching staff in baseball, the Padres’ goal for this upcoming season is to once again win it all. The question on everyone’s mind is “when will the window for this team close?” While many of the team’s star players are enjoying their prime, the team remains financially strapped. Nearly every key player is either in the last year of their contract, or is in the last year before arbitration. Reports suggest that the franchise has somewhere in the market of $17 million in the bank for extensions – A sum which may only let the team offer 1-2 players new contracts. The biggest concern is the contract situation of star 3B Brendan Rodgers. The anchor of the team’s lineup is in his last contract year, earning him a salary of some $24.88 million. The team faces difficult financial decisions in the months to come. Do they play the season out move-free, knowing that another championship is in their grasp? Do they make moves to free up the funds to re-sign Rodgers? Or do they trade their star, allowing them to potentially sign a few more players?
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