The Padres may be sliding toward seller mode, and Ty France is one of the names that could benefit if that door opens.
San Diego has spent the last couple of months digging itself into a hole, and with the trade deadline closing in, the front office has a decision to make. The Padres are 49-51 and sit 2.5 games out of a playoff spot, but the bigger issue is what’s happening around them: the offense has been the worst in Major League Baseball, and that kind of drag makes October feel a lot farther away.
That’s why the conversation in San Diego has widened beyond just whether the Padres can stay afloat. The club is even considering a move involving All-Star closer Mason Miller, who has three years of club control and would bring back a massive return. If Miller is on the table, then just about anyone could be available in the right deal, with the exception of the big three who would need to waive their no-trade clauses.
More realistically, though, the Padres would seem more likely to move veterans on expiring contracts if they decide to sell. France fits that profile perfectly. The platoon first baseman has been productive in his role and is playing on a one-year, $1.35 million deal, which makes him the kind of affordable bat contenders tend to circle.
His recent stretch has only pushed that case further. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand named France one of 10 players whose trade value is climbing, noting, “Since June 19, the 32-year-old has eight home runs, 20 RBIs and a 1.138 OPS in 22 games, doing his part to keep the Padres in the NL Wild Card race,” Feinsand wrote Tuesday.
Overall, France has put together a strong season. He’s up to 14 home runs and 50 RBI while hitting .279/.337/.550 with an .887 OPS across 74 games, and he’s added 2.4 WAR. Given the cost and the production, teams looking for help against left-handed pitching would have plenty of reason to check in, especially since he has also handled righties well.
The Padres probably won’t land a huge return for France, but they didn’t need to. They took a low-risk shot, and it has paid off. If San Diego can’t turn things around in its final 12 games before the deadline, France could be on the move soon.
In Other News...
Ty France Just Forced A Padres Deadline Dilemma
Ty France has spent enough time around the Padres this season to turn what looked like a depth signing into a real roster conversation. On a minor league contract, he has become one of the clubs more productive hitters, giving San Diego a useful bat at a time when every lineup spot matters and every marginal upgrade can shape the playoff race.
Frances rise has also changed the way the Padres have to think about the deadline. If they keep him, they get a proven contributor for the stretch run, but if they move him, they could turn that production into value before he reaches free agency again after the season. The front office now has to balance the immediate benefit of keeping him in the lineup against the longer-term question of whether this is the right moment to cash in or start extension talks. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Deadline Hopes Just Hit A Frustrating Wall
With the trade deadline closing in and the Padres sitting under .500, the front office is at least looking hard at ways to reshape the roster. Mason Miller is one of the names that could draw real interest, but any bigger deadline idea quickly runs into the same obstacle: Xander Bogaerts and the massive contract that still sits on the books.
Bogaerts has not played like the kind of player another club would want to absorb, and the deal runs all the way through 2033, which makes the math even tougher. Even if San Diego tried to package him with a valuable arm like Miller, the return would almost certainly come back lighter than the Padres would want, leaving the club with a difficult choice between standing pat and taking a far smaller haul than a player of Millers caliber should command. [Read more 🡒]
Padres May Finally Have No Choice But To Trust Luis Campusano
Miguel Andjars move to the 10-day injured list has opened another door for the Padres, and this one looks like it could matter beyond a short-term roster shuffle. With Andjar out after a wrist injury, San Diego recalled Rodolfo Durn from Triple-A El Paso and is now leaning into a catching setup that gives Luis Campusano a bigger role, including chances to hit as the designated hitter.
For Campusano, it is the kind of opportunity the Padres have circled for a while, even if they have been careful about how they handle the position around him. Carrying three catchers gives the club some protection, but it also suggests a willingness to keep Campusano in the lineup more often and see whether the bat can finally become too useful to keep parked on the bench. [Read more 🡒]