The San Diego Padres are entering a bit of a crossroads this offseason. San Diego wants to be a competitor and has proven they're willing to make big moves. However, with so many big names already on the roster, it may be hard for the Padres to make a substantial move.

One of those players is Juan Soto. While a crucial bat in the middle of the Padres' lineup, Soto is set to make over $25 million in the final year of his contract. With the Padres needing to both cut costs and add elsewhere to their team, many MLB executives believe a Soto trade is inevitable, via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.

“I don't think they have much of a choice,” one MLB GM said.

Led by potential Cy Young winner Blake Snell, San Diego is set to see four of their starting pitchers enter free agency. Retaining Snell will cost a lot in its own right, making a potential pursuit of Shohei Ohtani difficult. While San Diego is willing to spend, it's hard to build a complete roster with so much money tied to so few players.

That becomes especially true based on the Padres' current predicament. San Diego is set to lose their TV deal next season. They had to take out a $50 million loan at the end of last season. That came after the Padres boosted their payroll to a new franchise high of just under $250 million. They had the third-highest payroll in the league.

San Diego knows that Juan Soto makes their team better. GM AJ Preller is hoping to sign him to a contract extension. But based on their current financial and roster issues, the Padres may be forced to trade Soto.