One splashy signing can erase smarter moves.
The San Diego Padres can’t afford to treat this winter like a shopping spree with store credit. Not after 2025’s trade deadline emptied a top-heavy farm and tightened the payroll screws for 2026. Roster holes are real, but the costliest fix isn’t always the best fix, especially when that fix comes with a tax, a couple draft picks, and a year of second and third-order effects on depth.