Padres News: Series of Roster Moves Announced, 9 Players Officially Become Free Agents
With the World Series coming to an end the offseason officially begins. With that, the San Diego Padres announced a series of moves including 9 players officially entering the free agent market.
The big names include Josh Hader and Blake Snell.
The Claimed
Tucupita Marcano makes his return to San Diego after the club traded him to Pittsburgh in 2022 for Adam Frazier. In the two years since then, Marcano struggled mightily at the plate with a .602 OPS in 124 games.
He does provide incredible positional versatility, something that could help him carve out a role in 2024.
The Best of the Rest
Blake Snell and Josh Hader headline the list of players to hit free agency from the Padres. The front office could resign them, but they will command expensive, multi-year deals that could price them out of the Padres' range.
Ji-Man Choi, Rich Hill, and Garrett Cooper were all predictably allowed to hit free agency. After being acquired at the trade deadline, none played up to their potential. Cooper played the best of the three with a .725 OPS in San Diego.
Gary Sanchez was a revelation for the club that couldn't get much offensive production from their catchers. In 72 games he hit 19 home runs and 46 RBI. Fans would love to have Sanchez back behind the dish in tandem with Campusano.
The Padres brought back long-time outfielder Jurickson Profar after the Rockies cut him. Profar did well in limited action, and Friars actually went 9-5 when he played down the stretch. If brought back, he could provide some stability in the outfield for a fairly friendly price.
Luis Garcia pitched well enough out of the bullpen this year with a 4.08 ERA. He turns 37 prior to the start of next season and could be brought back at a fairly cheap price.
Drew Pomeranz has not played at the major league level since 2021 due to a complicated rehab process. He has stated he still wants to play, but it likely will not be for the Padres next year.
Both Chandler Seagle and Drew Carlton were outrighted to El Paso. They are still in the organization but will not be protected in the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.
