The San Diego Padres have plenty of work to do this offseason.

While the Padres had another successful season, winning 91 games and reaching the postseason for the third consecutive year, the Padres fell short yet again in the postseason, losing to the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series.

While it's clear the Padres need to address their starting rotation — likely adding at least three starters this offseason — there's one free agent that isn't a starting pitcher who makes too much sense for San Diego: outfielder Randy Arozarena.

Arozarena is entering free agency for the first time in his career after making $15.65 million this past year with the Seattle Mariners. The outfielder is coming off arguably the best season of his eight-year career, and would be a perfect fit to fill the void in left field for San Diego.

The 31-year-old Arozarena hit .281 across 154 games last year with 26 home runs, 79 RBIs and an OPS of .865. For reference, Padres left fielders hit .251 with 16 home runs in 2026. Gavin Sheets, who's better used as a DH or first baseman, had six of those homers. Ramon Laureano, whose season ended in May and is now a free agent, hit five of them.

The Padres found some success by using Dustin Harris and Samad Taylor in left field. However, banking on both players continuing to hit an elite level isn't a great plan for a win-now team.

Instead, the Padres could target Arozarena, who isn't only a great bat but also a playoff riser. In 45 career postseason games, Arozarena is hitting .292 with 12 home runs, 19 RBIs and an OPS of .946.

The Padres, as a team, had an OPS of .651 across six postseason games this year.

How Much Will Randy Arozarena Cost?

Arozarena, who turns 32 in February, won't be cheap. Spotrac currently projects a four-year, $81.8 million deal.

The Padres, as currently constructed, won't be able to hand Arozarena a contract with that high of an average annual value while also filling holes elsewhere on the roster. However, if they could make a trade to shed some payroll — say, getting off of Jake Cronenworth's contract — they could add a much-needed playoff riser to a team whose dormant offense has ended their postseason hopes each of the last three years.

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