The San Diego Padres have been listed as a sleeper team for two-time Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal, a Los Angeles Dodgers free agent. The southpaw would instantly become a difference maker in a Padres rotation that was desperately in need of star power last season.

MLB insider Robert Murray spoke on The Baseball Insiders podcast about how the relentlessness of president of baseball operations AJ Preller paired with a new ownership group may equal an unexpected run at Skubal.

"That new ownership group there, they got a taste of what winning was like," Murray said. "They got to see how competitive that baseball team was. They got to see how [Petco Park] just absolutely rocks. They have a GM in AJ Preller who will explore anything. And I could see, very easily, the San Diego Padres exploring the waters for Tarik Skubal."

In other news, Skubal isn't the only free agent linked to San Diego as a slugging second baseman and a Milwaukee Brewers postseason hero have also been linked to the Friars this offseason. The infield may have an extremely different look come 2027, but at least in terms of offensive production in the postseason, perhaps some new faces in the batting order won't be much of an issue.

Finally, left-hander Adrian Morejon has been among the best relief pitchers in baseball over the past few seasons, but Padres insider Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune warned that his talents might require something out of the Padres' price range this winter.

"If the low-end projection of $15 million a year ends up being his market, perhaps the Padres can be players to keep the left-hander who has thrown more innings (223.1) in relief over the past three seasons than any pitcher in the major leagues," Acee wrote.

"But there are others projecting something like a three-year deal for more than $70 million for the 27-year-old Morejon. ... That is likely too rich for a team that also needs to add/retain at least a couple of starting pitchers to place atop its rotation."

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