Padres Free Agent Linked to Yankees in Potential Surprise Signing
The San Diego Padres have had a quiet offseason with little movement. There have been no major league additions to their roster, and it appears there’s been little effort to improve the current team.
Despite this, the Padres remain contenders based on their strong performance last season, where they secured 93 regular-season wins and reached the final game of the NLDS against the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Additionally, the team set a new attendance record with over 3.3 million fans visiting Petco Park.
One potential move the Padres were “cautiously optimistic” about was signing Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, but he ultimately chose a larger offer from the Dodgers, continuing the trend of a quiet offseason in San Diego.
While the Padres haven’t been focused on bringing in new talent, at least retaining the current roster should be a priority. The team has avoided arbitration with players like Luis Arraez, Dylan Cease, Jason Adam, and Luis Campusano, which is a positive step. However, they still face their first arbitration case since 2014 with Michael King.
In terms of free agents, utility player Ha-Seong Kim is currently on the market. His departure seems likely, and Fox Sports’ Deesha Thosar and Rowan Kavner recently connected Kim to the New York Yankees. Losing Kim, particularly to the AL pennant-winning Yankees, would be a significant setback for an already challenging offseason for the Padres.
The Yankees, who are not afraid to spend big, have a pressing need for infield help following the loss of second baseman Gleyber Torres to the Detroit Tigers.
Kim, a Gold Glove award winner, has spent all four of his MLB seasons with the Padres since joining in December 2020. While his performance dipped slightly last season, he still posted a solid .233/.330/.370 batting line, with 47 RBIs and a WAR of 2.6.
The Padres don’t need to repeat last offseason’s massive $381 million spending spree, but they do need to maintain the strength of their contending roster as other teams around the league continue to improve. Most importantly, they need to start making some moves to strengthen their team.
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