The Padres television contract is expiring, and a new deal should increase the team’s payroll:

A new television deal could result in an increase of 10-20% in the club’s player salary obligations, which ranked 27th according to USA Today’s opening day calculations at $45,869,140.

“There are several active discussions going on at the moment,” Moorad said before Sunday’s game at Dodger Stadium, “and we hope to have something concluded sooner rather than later.”

Moorad declined to estimate the extent his payroll could grow as “too speculative,” but he has repeatedly pledged that the Padres would reinvest all revenue beyond expenses in the product on the field and Petco Park.

Unfortunately, even a 20% increase in payroll would not pay for an elite free agent. A $9 million paycheck gets a team a fourth starter these days.