Padres Have Had Trade Discussions With Multiple Teams Regarding Outfielders: Report
The Padres need help filling out their outfield and starting rotation depth.
General manager A.J. Preller is looking.
The Padres, league sources said, have had recent trade discussions with the Boston Red Sox and other teams with outfielders to offer, but no deal appeared imminent Friday morning.
Lin goes on to note that, while the Padres' offseason work might not be done, the outfield appears to be more of a focus than the pitching staff at the moment.
Whatever the Padres' next move might be — if there is one — their preferred direction isn't clear. Jon Heyman, writing Thursday in the New York Post, suggested the starting rotation might be more of a focus than the outfield. Writing about Boston outfielder Jarren Duran, Heyman writes:
The Padres, seeking a lefty-hitting outfielder, are interested. And the Padres and Dodgers are among candidates for [Kenley] Jansen. But San Diego may be more interested in a starter like Hyun-Jin Ryu.
In any event, the same roster machinations fans have been clamoring for haven't escaped the notice of the front office. The possibility of a regular outfield rotation featuring Jose Azocar, and a rotation featuring Jhony Brito, doesn't necessarily inspire confidence the Padres can improve on their 82-80 record in 2023.
The weakest links on the 40-man roster in theory are the same positions Preller is targeting in real life.
Ordinarily, the same weekend on which pitchers and catchers begin working out in spring training isn't prime time to make a deal. But as of Thursday, there are reportedly 130 unsigned major league free agents – an inordinate number, even in a slow year.
Perhaps the Padres' slow game will play off as action picks up among veteran looking to sign a contract for 2024.
