The Padres’ offseason checklist already has a familiar name near the top: left field. San Diego has been linked to a Yankees outfielder who is headed for free agency, and the fit is easy to understand.
The club clearly wants more offense from that spot, and the player in question brings the kind of strike-zone discipline that can change an at-bat fast. He posted a chase rate of 19.2%, good for the 99th percentile in baseball, and walked at a 12.6% clip, which put him in the 88th percentile.
That possible addition comes as the Padres continue to navigate bigger-picture financial questions after the ownership change. There has been speculation that San Diego could look to move some of its larger contracts in an effort to trim costs, and Manny Machado’s name has surfaced in that conversation before. But Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune poured cold water on the idea that Machado is on the block.
"[The possibility of moving a larger contract] has never been an immediate priority, and it might not be now," Acee wrote. "For one thing, the new owners have not weighed in on a budget or signaled their appetite for eating a lot of money or jettisoning a star player (especially one who literally and symbolically changed the franchise).
"Moving Machado seems highly unlikely, though talking about every possibility to make the Padres better is what Preller and his lieutenants do just about every waking hour of just about every day of the year."
Machado is set to be owed $39 million per year for the next seven years. Other major commitments on the books include Xander Bogaerts, who is owed $25.45 million each season through 2033; Fernando Tatis Jr., who is due $25.7 million over the next two seasons before that jumps to $36.7 million through 2034; and Jackson Merrill, who is owed $135 million over the next nine years.
There’s also hardware news on the way. The Padres have two Gold Glove finalists in Ty France, who is seeking the second Gold Glove of his career, and Freddy Fermin, who is going after his first.
The winners will be announced Nov. 1.
In Other News...
Padres Owners Just Raised The Stakes For A Huge Offseason
The Padres new principal owners, Kwanza Jones and Jos E. Feliciano, used a letter to season-ticket members to put their intentions in plain language: they want a roster built to chase a World Series championship. It was a notable message for a fan base that has heard plenty about ambition in recent years, but not always seen it matched with the results on the field.
They also acknowledged the clubs recent performance and said they expect to make significant moves this offseason to improve the team. Pitcher Joe Musgrove has voiced confidence that the new ownership group is serious about winning, and now the real test is whether that conviction turns into the kind of roster changes Padres fans have been waiting for. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Face Two Tricky Veteran Decisions That Could Reshape This Roster
Gavin Sheets gave the Padres a useful look this season, but his place on the roster is still far from settled as the club weighs a broader push toward getting younger. The outfielder and DH has been dealing with foot injuries, though the current expectation is that he can avoid surgery and be ready for spring training, which at least keeps him in the conversation heading into the winter.
Nick Pivettas situation is even more pressing, because the Padres have to sort out his contract shortly after the World Series while also monitoring elbow and forearm issues. His deal includes options, and a renegotiation is on the table, which leaves San Diego with a veteran pitching decision that could shape both the rotation and the payroll before the offseason really gets moving. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Fans Wont Like Where San Diego Lands On This MLB List
The Padres have had enough painful October endings over the years to know where they stand in the sports pecking order, and a new look at MLBs longest active World Series droughts only reinforces it. Cleveland and Milwaukee sit near the top of the list, but San Diego is right there among the clubs still chasing a return to the games biggest stage, alongside Seattle and Pittsburgh.
For Padres fans, the ranking is less a trivia item than a reminder of how long the wait has gone on. The franchise has reached the postseason and generated plenty of excitement, but it still remains on the outside looking in when it comes to ending that drought, which is why any list like this tends to land with a little extra sting in San Diego. [Read more 🡒]