San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres are showing interest in veteran starting pitcher Johnny Cueto, according to FanSided's Robert Murray and the New York Post's Jon Heyman.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported the Miami Marlins have weighed a move for Cueto as well and posited the 36-year-old could be a replacement for Pablo López if the 26-year-old gets traded.

Cueto posted his highest WAR (2.4) since 2016 last season, per FanGraphs. He went 8-10 with a 3.35 ERA and a 3.79 FIP in 25 appearances. Although his 5.80 strikeouts per nine innings were a career low, he had his second-lowest walk rate (1.88).

The two-time All-Star could be a good stopgap on a playoff contender or perhaps serve as a trade asset to flip ahead of the 2023 deadline.

The Padres fit firmly in the former category after reaching the National League Championship Series in 2022. They fortified their ranks by signing Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million contract.

The rotation remains a bit of a question mark, though, considering San Diego is projected to lean on two pitchers, Nick Martinez and the newly signed Seth Lugo, who operated primarily as relievers this past year. Only 38 of Lugo's 275 career appearances have come in a starting capacity.

Whether it's Cueto or another solution, signing a veteran starter makes sense for the Padres.

As Morosi speculated, Miami's interest might hinge on another player going out. The Marlins return their entire starting rotation, a group headlined by National League Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara.

The franchise doesn't have a pressing need for pitching help at the moment, but the situation could change between now and Opening Day.

The San Diego Padres agreed to a deal with free-agent utility man Matt Carpenter on Tuesday, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.

It's a one-year contract with a 2024 player option. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic provided the financial details:

Carpenter is guaranteed $12M and could earn a maximum of $21M over two years if he exercises player option and all of his salary escalators and incentives are earned. https://t.co/wZrJ1NTDCy

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 20, 2022

Carpenter is expected to play first base, left field, right field and designated hitter and possibly backup at second and third base as well, per Cassavell.

The 37-year-old enjoyed a renaissance season last year thanks to 15 home runs and 37 RBI in just 47 games last season for the New York Yankees. The three-time All-Star hit .305 and posted a 1.138 OPS as well.

It was a shocking turnaround after Carpenter hit just .176 (.605 OPS) with seven home runs and 45 RBI in 180 games for the St. Louis Cardinals over the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

He signed as a free agent with the Texas Rangers in March but did not make the major league roster. Carpenter hit .275 with six home runs in 21 games for the Triple-A Round Rock Express before the Yankees signed him to a major league contract in May.

Carpenter tirelessly worked to remake his swing, making multiple stops across the United States in hopes of doing so, per Rosenthal.

He got the job done and helped the Yankees win the American League East crown en route to a 99-win season.

Unfortunately, Carpenter's regular season was cut short after he suffered a broken left foot fouling off a pitch Aug. 8. He was able to return for the playoffs, though.

Carpenter is going from one contender to another as he joins a Padres squad that reached the National League Championship Series last season after upsetting the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers.

His inclusion on the roster helps keep the Padres in contention for the pennant, especially after the team added Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts in free agency.

The San Diego Padres reportedly expect star third baseman Manny Machado to opt out of his contract following the 2023 MLB season.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Padres anticipate Machado will test the free-agent market, which may be why they have been so aggressive this offseason.

Heyman noted the Padres missed out on shortstop Trea Turner and outfielder Aaron Judge despite offers of $342 million and $414 million, respectively, before signing shortstop Xander Bogaerts away from the Boston Red Sox on an 11-year, $280 million deal.

San Diego signed Machado to a 10-year, $300 million contract in 2019, and the move has paid dividends for both sides.

In four seasons with the Padres, the 30-year-old is a two-time All-Star and one-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He finished third in National League MVP voting in 2020 and second in the voting in 2022.

Last season was Machado's best in San Diego, as he hit .298 with 32 home runs, 102 RBI and 100 runs scored.

In seven seasons before joining the Padres (six-and-a-half years with the Baltimore Orioles and half a season with the Los Angeles Dodgers), Machado was a four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner.

As good as he was in Baltimore, Machado hasn't experienced much drop-off during his time with the Padres. He has played in 519 games with San Diego and slashed .280/.352/.504 with 108 homers, 340 RBI and 317 runs.

Machado has also helped the Padres enjoy their most extensive playoff success in years. They upset the New York Mets in the NL Wild Card Series and the Dodgers in the NL Division Series in the 2022 postseason en route to the National League Championship Series.

While Machado signed a 10-year deal with the Padres, it would likely behoove him to opt out after next season if he enjoys another big statistical campaign.

Machado's average annual salary of $30 million is tied for the 15th-highest in MLB, and he arguably deserves to be higher on the list.

Judge, New York Mets starting pitcher Justin Verlander and Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom have all signed contracts this offseason that exceed Machado's average annual salary.

The Padres are equipped to remain strong offensively if Machado signs elsewhere thanks to the presence of Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto.

Still, Machado would be a massive loss, and his potential impending free agency may give the Padres more urgency to win a World Series next season.

The San Diego Padres' decision to sign Xander Bogaerts as a free agent opens up the question about Fernando Tatis Jr.'s long-term outlook with the organization.

Per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, Tatis has " always been adamant" about playing shortstop.

Bogaerts made it clear during his introductory press conference on Dec. 9 he is still planning to play shortstop.

"I play infield. I play shortstop," he told reporters.

The Padres don't actually have to worry about appeasing Tatis' apparent desire to play shortstop right at the start of the 2023 season. He isn't eligible to play until April 20 as he finishes out the rest of his 80-game suspension after testing positive for a banned substance.

Tatis missed the entire 2022 season recovering from offseason wrist surgery and the suspension. The 23-year-old has experience playing a different position. He was used in the outfield two years ago to ease the physical burden on him due to a shoulder injury.

When it looked like he was going to be a contributor last season, Tatis told reporters he would be open to playing a position other than shortstop.

"Wherever they need me," he said. "We're going to talk. But I've been [rehabbing] mostly at shortstop so far. I've been moving around everywhere, but it's been mostly shortstop so far."

Gonzalez did note Tatis "seemed so lethargic" playing the outfield in 2021 and there is "eroding trust" from the Padres in the All-Star talent.

Some of the trust issues may stem from Tatis' durability. He missed 78 games as a rookie in 2019 and 32 games in 2021. But there are also potential issues off the field. His wrist injury last year was the result of a motorcycle crash.

Tatis seemed to indicate when asked about the crash during spring training that it's happened more than once.

Probably not a great thing, when Fernando Tatis was asked when his motorcycle accident happened, he responded, 'which one.'

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) March 14, 2022

Padres manager Bob Melvin made it clear Tatis won't be riding motorcycles anymore.

Even though the Padres currently have a logjam on the left side of their infield, there are reasons to think that signing Bogaerts to an 11-year contract doesn't necessarily mean they will be trying to move on from Tatis.

Bogaerts has generally been a below-average defensive player throughout his career. It seems unlikely he will get better as a shortstop now that he is 30 years old.

There's also the possibility 2023 will be Manny Machado's final season with the Padres. The six-time All-Star has an opt-out in his contract. Given how much money teams have been spending this offseason, there's no reason he can't cash in with one more big contract while he's in his prime.

San Diego also has to think about trying to re-sign Juan Soto, who can become a free agent after the 2024 season.

For all of Tatis' flaws, he is still an incredible offensive player. The two-time Silver Slugger winner has a .292/.369/.596 slash line in 273 career games.

San Diego's spending spree over the past three seasons makes it seem unlikely the team would try to move Tatis. He significantly increases the team's chances of making the World Series when he plays.

The Padres reached the National League Championship Series last season for the first time since 1998.

The Boston Red Sox lost their face of the franchise when shortstop Xander Bogaerts signed with the San Diego Padres last week. Rather than look to replace him with a free agent, the team might explore another avenue to improve its roster.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told The Athletic's Chad Jennings that the team is "very, very actively exploring" the trade market in the wake of Bogaerts' departure.

The Red Sox addressed some areas of need by signing closer Kenley Jansen and Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida. However, the team still has multiple holes to fill on its roster and Boston's front office has not spent big in free agency in recent years. Bloom acknowledged that the logical route for the franchise is to pursue trades.

"I actually think the trade market could be a really good route to adding impact to our club," Bloom said. "We are looking [into] a lot of significant moves there as long as we can do it in a way that isn't just robbing Peter to pay Paul, that's actually moving us forward in 2023 and giving us a chance to make a significant step forward from where we sit today."

Per Jennings, the Red Sox "still have a glaring need for a right-handed hitter and an ongoing desire to add a starting pitcher." The team has a deep farm system that Bloom said he hopes to keep intact for the future, but he added he's willing to give up some players for the right price.

"As I've said all along since getting here, we value being a consistent contender, and so guys that are in the pipeline are going to be a part of that in the years ahead, but what happens now matters," Bloom said. "And for the right impact, absolutely we would be willing to, and really look to, use that stockpile of prospects."

Jennings named Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds, St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong and Cleveland Guardians shortstop Amed Rosario as potential trade targets for Boston.

If the team looks internally to replace Bogaerts, it could move Trevor Story from second base back to shortstop, which was his original position during his six seasons with the Colorado Rockies.

"We're fortunate that we have multiple guys on this team that are really capable shortstops," Bloom said. "And that gives us a really good place to start from as we continue to work through the offseason and put the best club together that we can."

The San Diego Padres were willing to pay Aaron Judge well into his 40s to secure a deal for the American League MVP.

The New York Post's Jon Heyman reported the Padres "were contemplating a deal for $400 million-plus over 14 years."

On Wednesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported San Diego made a 10-year, $400 million offer to Judge at the 11th hour. Adding four more years would've lessened the annual cost of the contract while taking him through his age-44 season.

Heyman noted MLB might have intervened had things gotten any further because it "would have seen the additional years as only an attempt to lower their official payroll to lessen the tax."

Judge agreed to a nine-year, $360 million deal to return to the New York Yankees.

The Padres haven't rested on their laurels after reaching the National League Championship Series in 2022. In addition to their failed pursuit of Judge, they made a run at Trea Turner before he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies.

After getting spurned by both players, San Diego turned around and landed Xander Bogaerts for a reported $280 million over 11 years.

Enter Xan Man. pic.twitter.com/nSeoMlsaXO

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) December 9, 2022

Padres ownership has given president of baseball operations A.J. Preller the green light to spend over the last few years. That Preller was empowered to target Judge and Turner and ultimately sign Bogaerts is particularly fascinating, given the contract statuses of Manny Machado and Juan Soto.

Machado can opt out of the final five years and $150 million of his deal after the 2023 season. He'll be 31 next winter, three months younger than Bogaerts, so it stands to reason he can collect a better payout by hitting free agency.

Soto, meanwhile, is eligible to enter the open market in 2025 and could have one of the most frenzied bidding wars ever. ESPN's Jeff Passan posited Wednesday on The Pat McAfee Show that Soto and Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani could be the first players in MLB history to get $500 million.

If Machado and Soto don't sign long-term agreements before hitting free agency, then there are no guarantees about their futures in San Diego. The Padres at least appear to be showing they won't lose either player purely because they weren't willing to pony up the dough.

Nobody can accuse the San Diego Padres of not going after a World Series title.

The National League West team made a major splash in free agency Wednesday night and agreed to an 11-year, $280 million contract with shortstop Xander Bogaerts, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. That means the Padres' formidable lineup will include Bogaerts, Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatís Jr.

According to Spotrac, the team now has an active total payroll of just under $147 million for 2023 and a projected total payroll of $203.9 million.

Here is a look at MLB Network's projected lineup for the team:

Thoughts? 👀 pic.twitter.com/vafwxCj6bl

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 8, 2022

San Diego has been nothing if not aggressive this offseason, as Passan noted it also pursued Aaron Judge before he re-signed with the New York Yankees and Trea Turner before he joined the Philadelphia Phillies.

Going after big-name players may be necessary to compete in a National League West that also includes the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, the latter of which was largely seen as New York's biggest competition when it came to landing Judge this offseason.

Bogaerts is more than just a consolation prize, though, and has a resume that includes two World Series titles, four All-Star selections and five Silver Sluggers from his time on the Boston Red Sox.

The 30-year-old slashed .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs and 73 RBI last season while posting a total of five defensive runs saved above average, per FanGraphs.

There was some discussion about Bogaerts potentially moving off shortstop this offseason, with Mark Feinsand of MLB.com going as far as to report the Chicago Cubs were looking to sign both him and Dansby Swanson and explore such a move, but the defensive metrics at shortstop suggest he can stay there for the Padres.

San Diego reached the National League Championship Series last season even though Tatís was suspended for the playoffs. Now it will have Tatís back for the stretch run of 2023 and Bogaerts in the lineup alongside him, which is a daunting prospect for opposing pitching staffs.

It is World Series or bust for the Padres at this point.

The San Diego Padres have landed one of the best shortstops in Major League Baseball after agreeing to a deal with Xander Bogaerts.

Per Jeff Passan of ESPN, Bogaerts signed an 11-year, $280 million contract with the Padres, adding another superstar to their already loaded infield in the process.

Shortstop Xander Bogaerts and the San Diego Padres are in agreement on an 11-year, $280 million contract, a source familiar with the deal tells ESPN. A monster contract and the Padres, after missing Trea Turner and Aaron Judge, get the longtime Red Sox shortstop.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 8, 2022

The Red Sox added to their crowded middle infield last offseason by signing Trevor Story to a six-year contract. He shifted to second base because of Bogaerts, but this move allows to back to shortstop.

Story has been a disappointment so far in Boston. The two-time All-Star posted a career-low .737 OPS in an injury-plagued 2022 campaign that was limited to 94 games.

Bogaerts has been terrific at the plate over the previous five seasons for Boston. He posted a career-high .883 OPS in 2018 only to exceed that mark with a .939 OPS the following year. He also recorded new career bests in home runs (33) and doubles (52) in 2019.

The 2020 season wasn't quite up to those standards, but he hit .300/.364/.502 with 11 homers in 56 games. He was one of the few bright spots for a Red Sox team that finished last in the AL East with a 24-36 record.

Things went much better for Boston in 2021, finishing with a 92-70 record. Bogaerts was one of the key anchors for the offense with an .863 OPS and 23 homers in 144 games. He hit .307/.377/.456 with 15 homers in 150 games during the 2022 campaign.

The Red Sox signed him to a six-year, $120 million contract extension in April 2019 that included an opt out after 2022.

Bogaerts' struggles in the field—his minus-26 defensive runs saved from 2018-22 ranks last out of 19 qualified shortstops, according to FanGraphs—do open up the strong possibility that he might have to move off the position soon.

Bogaerts joins an infield that is as star-filled as any in baseball; third baseman Manny Machado and shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. remain elite hitters and fielders, although there are plenty of question marks about how Tatis will fare after an injury-plagued 2022 campaign and after his 80-game suspension for violating MLB's performance-enhancing drug policy. On top of that, shortstop Ha-Seong Kim emerged as one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball, creating a potential logjam on the left side of the infield.

However, with another big name joining the fold, it's hard to think the Padres won't figure things out heading into the season and will enter 2023 as early favorites to make a deep playoff run.

The Philadelphia Phillies' initial, aggressive offseason push to land Trea Turner paid off on Monday, though he actually turned down a bigger offer from another club.

The San Diego Padres offered Turner a $342 million contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

The Athletic's Matt Gelb previously reported San Diego had offered Turner more in "total guaranteed dollars" than the $300 million he agreed to with the reigning National League Champions, with ESPN's Buster Olney adding San Diego's offer would have made Turner the highest-paid shortstop in baseball.

ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel reported the 11-year, $300 million agreement between Philadelphia and Turner.

Gelb noted the Padres' had "legitimate interest" in bringing back Turner, who was their first-round draft pick in 2014. Members of the organization met with the two-time All-Star twice before the winter meetings.

The Padres traded Turner to the Washington Nationals six months after he was drafted as part of a three-team deal that included the Tampa Bay Rays.

Olney added with Turner now off the board, the Padres have pivoted their interest to Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson and Xander Bogaerts.

Almost as soon as the World Series ended, there were rumblings that Turner and the Phillies had strong mutual interest. The Athletic's Jayson Stark told 97.5 The Fanatic on Nov. 9 there were "some interesting rumblings" the 29-year-old wanted to be in Philadelphia.

According to Gelb, the Phillies' pitch to Turner included meetings in Florida with the president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, general manager Sam Fuld and manager Rob Thompson before Thanksgiving to meet members of his family.

Gelb also noted Bryce Harper, who previously advocated strongly for the Phillies to re-sign J.T. Realmuto, began lobbying team officials to pursue Turner during the regular season.

It's not specified what San Diego's offer was for Turner, but general manager A.J. Preller has been as aggressive as any executive over the past two years. He has traded for Yu Darvish, Mike Clevinger, Josh Hader, Juan Soto and Blake Snell since 2021.

The Padres have also spent big money to sign Manny Machado as a free agent (10 years, $300 million) and extend Fernando Tatis Jr. (14 years, $340 million). They have made the postseason in two of the last three years, including losing to the Phillies in the 2022 NLCS.

As aggressive as Preller has been recently, Dombrowski has been the king of aggressive moves dating back to his time with the Detroit Tigers. His desire to add superstar talent paid off in a big way, with Turner set to join a Phillies team coming off a World Series appearance.