As many baseball fans already know, the San Diego Padres are not the biggest spenders out there but the winds seem to be changing. In 2013, San Diego was 25th in payroll at $71,689,900. Last season, then-GM Josh Byrnes upped the ante and moved the payroll up to $90,094,196, moving up to 21st in payroll. But, in a season that consisted of trading fan-favorites Chase Headley and Nick Hundley and no success on offense, Byrnes was fired in June. AJ Preller would go on to take over the position after serving as assistant GM for the Texas Rangers.
In his first offseason with San Diego, Preller has linked the small market team to several key free agents and some possible trades that could spark an offense that ranked last in the MLB, scoring only 3.3 runs per game. The pitching staff was arguably one of the best in the league, ranking 4th, but the lack of offense would offset pitching success.
After winning the rights to Korean pitcher Gwang-hyun Kim, San Diego now has some room to deal a starting pitcher or two. They have opened themselves up to inquiries for Andrew Cashner, Ian Kennedy, and Tyson Ross, in an attempt to bring in some offense.
In free agency, possibly the biggest name San Diego has been linked to is Pablo Sandoval. Coming off of his third World Series win with the San Francisco Giants, Sandoval has been a big target in the free agent market. San Diego put themselves in the running with an offer that has not been disclosed but is apparently higher than the 5-year, $95 million offer Boston put on the table. Sandoval is expected to make a decision this week.
Another name that San Diego has been linked to is slugger Yasmani Tomas, the heavily pursued 24-year old Cuban outfielder. As said by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, “Tomas is projected to have the kind of power that would not be contained by San Diego’s vast Petco Park”. They are currently the front runners along with the Atlanta Braves and the deal may be expected to top $100 million.
Jay Bruce has also been part of big trade talks. The biggest rumor between the Cincinnati Reds and San Diego is a straight up trade for Tyson Ross. Bruce has a no trade clause that allows him to block trades to eight unknown teams. So, it is unclear whether San Diego is a possible trade partner or not.
Another player that has been on the radar is Matt Kemp. According to DodgersNation.com, Preller has inquired about the 30 year-old outfielder. This trade would make sense for both teams as the Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to upgrade their starting pitching. After Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, Los Angeles has a significant drop off in pitching. The most possible trade, because the team acquiring Kemp will inherit $107 million over five years, would be Kennedy (who is one year away from free agency) and a prospect or draft pick.
As we can see, this team is serious about getting offense and getting into playoff form. If Preller is successful in getting a few deals in, this team could make a splash not only in the offseason but also in the regular season.
In other San Diego Padres news, the team has put in a bid to host the MLB All-Star Game. The city council is expected to vote on December 15th to approve items within the bid and Bud Selig is expected to award the 2016 and 2017 All-Star games before his retirement in January.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Koji Sasahara
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