Offer to Jung Hoo Lee 'Competitive' But Not Close To Giants

Entering the offseason, the San Diego Padres had one goal in mind, and that was to cut salary on their books. After years of what seemed like limitless spending, it came back to bite them.

The team saw one NLCS appearance during that time, and the front office recognized the need to scale back. They still want to remain competitive, but doing so while also understanding the implications of their spending habits.

They reluctantly traded away star outfielder Juan Soto to the New York Yankees and missed out on their big free-agent target Jung Hoo Lee. He signed a 6-year, $113 million deal with the San Francisco Giants, a number the Padres weren't comfortable going to. 

Padres insider Dennis Lin of The Athletic is reporting that San Diego's offer to Lee was competitive, but not close to the Giants. 

"The Padres’ offers to the Korean standout were deemed competitive but not especially close to San Francisco’s winning proposal, league sources told The Athletic. The gap fit a pattern that has emerged amid a winter of apparent restraint"

Per Dennis Lin of The Athletic

Losing Lee to the NL West rival Giants does sting, but it's a reality that the Padres find themselves in this winter. This has become a common occurrence this offseason and is the result of the teams' reckless spending over the last few seasons. 

Their mindset to shed payroll this winter has caused them to miss out on multiple talented players. They've seen a few of their starting pitchers from the 2023 staff leave for better offers.

The hope is that they can land some free agents who haven't signed when it gets closer to the start of the season. Players get desperate for the "right" deal and are forced to take one less than what their market is worth.

This is where the Padres are at the moment, and they have nobody to blame but themselves.