The Padres are bringing back a familiar face, signing first baseman Ty France to a minor league deal with an invite to MLB Spring Training. It’s a homecoming of sorts for the 31-year-old Southern California native, who was originally drafted by San Diego back in 2015 and made his big-league debut with the club in 2019.
France’s journey since then has been a winding one. After being dealt to Seattle in a 2020 trade that brought catcher Austin Nola to the Padres and sent reliever Andrés Muñoz to the Mariners, France carved out a steady role as a big-league contributor. Last season saw him split time between the Twins and Blue Jays, logging 490 plate appearances-his lowest total since the shortened 2020 campaign-but still managing to stay in the everyday mix.
Now, he’s back where it all began, joining a Padres roster that’s clearly looking to solidify its options at first base and designated hitter. France adds a right-handed bat to a mix that already includes Miguel Andújar and Nick Castellanos, with Gavin Sheets projected to see the bulk of starts at first.
Sheets, a lefty, struggled against same-handed pitching last year, posting a .669 OPS in those matchups. That opens the door for a potential platoon, and France’s presence gives the Padres a more balanced approach.
What makes France intriguing isn’t just his bat-it’s his glove. He’s coming off the best defensive season of his career, racking up 9 Defensive Runs Saved and 10 Outs Above Average at first base.
That stellar work earned him his first Gold Glove, a testament to the strides he’s made on the defensive side. Among the current first base candidates in San Diego, France is easily the most polished defender.
Sheets graded out as average, Andújar is more of a bat-first corner option, and Castellanos has never played a big-league inning at first.
Offensively, France doesn’t carry the typical platoon profile. His career splits are remarkably even-just a 12-point difference in OPS between lefties and righties, with similar batting average and on-base numbers on both sides.
He’s shown a bit more pop against lefties, but also tends to strike out more in those matchups. That kind of consistency makes him a versatile piece, whether as a bench bat or in a timeshare role.
France’s 2025 season was split between Minnesota and Toronto, where he posted a 92 wRC+ in both stops. While that’s a tick below league average, he remained a serviceable option in the lineup. He even made a brief postseason cameo with the Blue Jays, going 1-for-4.
There were reportedly multiple teams in the mix for France, but in the end, he chose to return to San Diego. It’s a low-risk move for the Padres, but one that could pay dividends if France’s glove holds up and his bat finds a groove. With Spring Training around the corner, he’ll have a chance to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster-and potentially reclaim a role with the team that gave him his first shot.