This has the chance to be the worst beat for the Padres in some time, as they missed out on a free agent they desperately needed over something that was out of their control as an organization.
The Padres targeted the current Arizona Diamondbacks' right-hander, Merrill Kelly, in free agency to sure up their starting unit that went through a ton of change over the course of the offseason.
Kelly ended up signing a two-year, $40 million contract to return to Arizona, and he didn't mince words on why he didn't sign with the division rival San Diego Padres.
Padres' Merrill Kelly pursuit hit a frustrating wall over California state taxes
"I don't think it's any secret on how much money you get taken out of your pocket when you go to California," Kelly said.
Yes, you read that correctly: Kelly chose to sign elsewhere because of California's state tax system. The Padres really lost out on rotation help because of laws passed by the state government.
The Padres lost Dylan Cease to the Toronto Blue Jays on a seven-year, $210 million contract. They later found out that they would be without Yu Darvish after he underwent Tommy John Surgery.
San Diego was able to compensate for the loss by bringing back Michael King on a three-year, $75 million contract, but there are still lingering questions about the team's depth down the line.
Nick Pivetta and Michael King will headline the front of the rotation, with Joe Musgrove making his return and serving as the No. 3. Randy Vasquez, in all likelihood, will hold down spot No. 4, but it's completely up to Craig Stammen and Ruben Niebla to decide on how they structure the starting rotation.
Adding Merrill Kelly would've been huge for the team, and losing out on him to tax laws hurts big time. All the Padres can do is move forward and work with what they have.