I think we have a team, like you saw last year, that’s capable of going down and accomplishing our goal,” Greupner said.

Someone in Padres management spoke publicly on Tuesday for what was essentially the first time this offseason. So almost on its own that made CEO Erik Greupner’s statements significant, coming as they did at the end of an offseason rife with questions about the direction of the franchise.

For much of the offseason, as the Padres' payroll teetered around the collective bargaining tax, external speculation centered around which players they might trade in order to stay below that number.

As it stands, San Diego has $196.93 million on their books for 2025. Seeing that they dipped below the first tax threshold in 2024, the Padres would need to exceed $241 million in payroll for next season to pay a first-year Competitive Balance overage tax of 20 percent.