The San Diego Padres have had a disappointing offseason. After almost reaching the National League Championship Series they have watched their division rivals get better while they have not moved the needle.
The Padres lost Tanner Scott to the Los Angeles Dodgers. They were finalists to land Rōki Sasaki but watched him choose the Dodgers. All-Star Jurickson Profar left to join the Atlanta Braves. Off the field, the late Padres owner Pete Seidler’s widow has filed a lawsuit against her brother-in-law for control of the team. MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds outlined the state of the Padres and their future. He suggested the team should trade Fernando Tatis Jr. to get the team back on track.
“Manny (Machado), you can’t move that contract. (Xander) Bogaerts, not moving that contract,” Reynolds said on MLB Network. “There’s one player that can change the whole direction of this organization and that’s (Fernando) Tatis, and I’m putting him on the market to trade.”
Reynolds noted that the Padres would be smart to hold on to their pitching because of the difficulty of finding pitching in today’s MLB.
Tatis would garner a haul of prospects and potentially big-league players. Tatis signed a 14-year, $340 million extension in 2021. He will not be a free agent until 2035. Not only would he net a huge return, he would open up room for the team to sign other stars.
Tatis is a two-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, Gold Glover and Platinum Glover. He is one of the best players in baseball. Last season he slashed .276/.340/.492 and hit 21 home runs. Trading him would still leave the Padres with a roster full of talented players and they would add players who can contribute to their team for years to come.
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