San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres are parting ways with second baseman Robinson Cano, per team sideline reporter Annie Heilbrunn:

Cano signed with the Padres on May 13. He had just three hits in 33 plate appearances (.094 batting average).

Cano is an eight-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger and two-time Gold Glove winner. He's played 17 seasons in the bigs after making his debut with the New York Yankees in 2005. Cano also finished top six in American League MVP voting from 2010 to 2014 and won the 2009 World Series with the Bronx Bombers.

The .301 lifetime hitter left the Yankees after nine seasons and signed with the Seattle Mariners, where he played from 2014 to 2018. The M's then traded Cano as part of a package deal with closer Edwin Diaz to the Mets in December 2018.

Cano was on the Mets until May 8, when New York released the 39-year-old after he hit just .195 with 43 plate appearances.

The veteran hit .316 with 10 home runs and 30 RBI in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and appeared ready to contribute in 2021.

However, in November 2020, Cano received a 162-game suspension for using stanozolol and missed the entire 2021 season.

That marked Cano's second performance-enhancing drug suspension, as he also got an 80-gamer for furosemide while he was with the Mariners.

Now Cano is a free agent once again. Heilbrunn gave a glimpse at what Cano could be looking to do next.

For his career, Cano has a batting average of .301 (.840 OPS) with 335 home runs, 1,306 RBI and 2,635 hits. He is third on the active MLB hit list behind Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera.

Four days after being officially released by the New York Mets, Robinson Cano is reportedly nearing a deal with the San Diego Padres. 

Per Jon Heyman of MLB Network and the New York Post, Cano and the Padres are "close" to an agreement. 

Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported the two sides are expected to finalize the contract on Friday.

The Mets designated Cano for assignment on May 2, giving the team seven days to either trade him or place him on waivers. He was released by the team on Sunday. 

As a result of the abbreviated spring training caused by the lockout, Major League Baseball allowed teams to carry 28 players on the roster for the first month of the season. May 2 marked the deadline for teams to cut their roster down to 26 players.

The move left the Mets on the hook for the $44.7 million that was still remaining on Cano's contract. He was hitting .195/.233/.268 with one homer and three RBI in 12 games this season. 

San Diego could look to use Cano at designated hitter or as a bench player. Luke Voit, the team's primary DH, has a .184/.349/.327 slash line with two homers and seven RBI in 15 games. 

Second baseman Jake Cronenworth has a .657 OPS in 117 at-bats. The Padres could get superstar shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. back in mid-June after he underwent wrist surgery in March. 

Cano was looking to re-establish himself for the Mets this season. The eight-time All-Star was suspended for the entire 2021 season after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug in November 2020. 

Instead, after a slow start, Cano found his career at a crossroads as a 39-year-old free agent. His sample size of at-bats this season is so small that it's hard to draw any conclusions from his .591 OPS. 

During the 2020 season, Cano fared well with a .316/.352/.544 slash line and 10 homers in 49 games. 

The Padres would be an ideal landing spot for Cano. They are a playoff contender in the NL with plenty of depth already on the roster, so he doesn't have to come in to potentially save their season.     

The Minnesota Twins are reportedly trading relief pitcher Taylor Rogers to the San Diego Padres for Chris Paddack and Emilio Pagan, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Dennis Lin of The Athletic added outfielder Brent Rooker will also be going to the Padres in the deal.

Rosenthal first reported Wednesday night that the deal was in the works.

That follows a report from USA Today's Bob Nightengale on Monday that the Padres were shopping Paddack:

The Padres were reportedly targeting Rogers in the talks:

Paddack, 26, appeared in 23 games (22 starts) for the Padres last season, finishing 7-7 with a 5.07 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 99 strikeouts in 108.1 innings.

Since a fantastic rookie season in 2019 (9-7, 3.33 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 153 strikeouts), however, Paddack has steadily seen his quality decline over the past two seasons.

And with a loaded rotation that includes Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish, Sean Manaea, Blake Snell and Mike Clevinger, there wasn't a natural spot in the rotation for Paddack.

Minnesota, meanwhile, might be banking on Paddack rediscovering the form that made him an important part of San Diego's rotation in 2019. There's clearly potential:

The Twins currently have Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, Dylan Bundy, Bailey Ober and Chris Archer filling out their rotation. It's a completely different group than the rotation that started the 2021 season and one loaded with questions.

Paddack would fit right in—the Twins have plenty of potential in their staff, but recent results have been lacking.

San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. suffered a fractured wrist while preparing for the 2022 MLB season.

Padres general manager A.J. Preller announced Monday the shortstop will undergo surgery and could miss up to three months. However, Tatis later said he hadn't made a decision on surgery.

When discussing the injury, Tatis talked about a December motorcycle crash, describing it as "minor scrapes," but Jon Heyman of MLB Network noted that "folks close to the situation wonder whether he suffered the wrist fracture then."

Tatis also said "which one" when asked about his crash, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN, adding that he had fallen off of his bike several times during the offseason.

San Diego opens the season April 7 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Tatis took his game to another level in 2021, leading the National League in home runs (42) while finishing with a .364 on-base percentage and a .611 slugging percentage.

His production was all the more impressive since he suffered a partial dislocation of his shoulder last April. The shoulder injury lingered throughout the season and landed him on the injured list in July.

After the season ended, Tatis declined to have surgery on his shoulder.

The 23-year-old's defense suffered because of the injury, and the Padres experimented with him in the outfield.

While not a consequence of his shoulder issues, the fractured wrist will add to the questions over his long-term durability. San Diego sent a message when it signed him to a 14-year, $340 million extension in 2021, and the team hinged a lot of its future on his performance.

A man was arrested Friday morning for felony vandalism after driving his SUV onto the Petco Park field, home of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres, San Diego Police said, according to Alex Riggins of the San Diego Union-Tribune. 

The driver of the vehicle tore up the dirt surface before members of the grounds crew blocked his exit, allowing police officers to apprehend him before he could drive away.

Ryan Carlson, who works at the stadium, told Riggins that he saw the driver enter through a tunnel in left field, believing it was a member of the grounds crew. He realized it wasn't when the driver started "doing doughnuts" on the field. 

“After about a minute, he came to a stop, and a bunch of the grounds crew guys made their way to the car and did like a citizens’ arrest,” Carlson said. “It happened peacefully, wasn’t aggressive, at least as far as I saw. They walked him over and sat him down.”

Members of San Diego's grounds crew have begun field preparations for the 2022 MLB season despite the lockout. 

Petco Park, which sits in the heart of the city, is currently slated to host the Padres' 2022 home opener against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday, March 31. However, with the state of negotiations between MLB and the MLB Players Association, it's unclear if that game will be played as scheduled. 

The Padres finished the 2021 season with a disappointing 79-83 record, missing the playoffs for the 14th time in 15 seasons. The franchise fired manager Jayce Tingler in October and replaced him with Bob Melvin in hopes of having a bounce-back 2022 campaign. 

San Diego Police determined Raquel Wilkins died by suicide and her two-year-old son, Denzel Browning-Wilkins, died of homicide at Petco Park prior to a September baseball game between the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves.

Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today shared the statement from police regarding the deaths of Wilkins and her son after falling from a third-level concourse at the stadium:

The detectives conducted a thorough and comprehensive investigation that included dozens of interviews, reviewing of available video footage, and collecting background information to determine what led to the deaths. In consultation with the San Diego County Medical Examiner, Raquel Wilkins' death has been classified a suicide and Denzel Browning-Wilkins' death has been classified a homicide. The San Diego Police Department will not be making any further comment on the case.

However, attorney Dan Gilleon is representing Wilkins' family and said "The city doesn't want to explain why it concluded that a young mother would kill her only child at an event where witnesses said she was happy."

Gilleon said the family is considering suing the city of San Diego, which owns Petco Park.

He also pointed to accounts that said "she was smiling and having fun" while alleging the city is blaming the victim in this instance.

Both Wilkins and her son were pronounced dead at the scene Sept. 25.       

Fernando Tatis denied the reports that his son, Fernando Tatis Jr., was in a motorcycle crash in the Dominican Republic last Sunday, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). 

He did confirm that Tatis Jr. suffered minor injuries after falling last weekend in the San Pedro de Macoris province.

"He is fine, in perfect condition," he said. "They treated him here; it's not a big deal, just a fall—he scraped his knee and hands a little."

On Dec. 7, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote: "A report out of the Dominican Republic said the incident involved a motorcycle and that Tatis was transported to a 'medical center' for treatment."

The San Diego Padres will likely be happy that the superstar they signed to a 14-year, $330 million contract extension wasn't in a motorcycle accident.

The 22-year-old Tatis finished third in the NL MVP voting last season behind Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals' Juan Soto after hitting .282 with 97 RBI, 99 runs, 25 stolen bases, a .975 OPS and an NL-leading 42 homers, all in 130 games.

He is the face of the franchise, leading a strong core that includes Manny Machado, Yu Darvish, Mike Clevinger and Blake Snell. The Padres disappointed in 2021 after reaching the postseason in 2020, going just 79-83, but they'll be expected to return to contender status in 2022, assuming the lockout is resolved and a season takes place. 

San Diego Padres superstar shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. was reportedly involved in a minor accident involving a motorcycle in the Dominican Republic on Sunday, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

He was taken to a medical center for treatment, though he reportedly only suffered "minor scrapes."

Tatis, 22, hit .282 with 42 homers, 97 RBI and 99 runs in 130 games last season, posting a .975 OPS. He was a first-time All-Star and finished third in the National League MVP balloting behind winner Bryce Harper and runner-up Juan Soto.

Had Tatis not missed 32 games after needing three separate stints on the injured list with an injured left shoulder, he may have ended up as the MVP.

Regardless, he's San Diego's best player and one of the most exciting talents in baseball, period. And he should be with the Padres for most of his career after signing a 14-year, $340 million deal that has him under contract through the 2034 season.

Any injury or accident to Tatis will be a major concern in San Diego, which is built around a core of the young shortstop, third baseman Manny Machado and pitchers Yu Darvish, Mike Clevinger and Blake Snell.

The market for free-agent outfielder Nick Castellanos is reportedly taking shape.

MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today said Wednesday that the San Diego Padres are interested in pursuing Castellanos, though he noted that nothing is imminent ahead of the impending MLB lockout. Padres beat reporter Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune also stated that San Diego is hoping to acquire a "big-time outfielder."

Castellanos spent the 2021 season with the Cincinnati Reds and put up some of the best numbers of his nine-year career. The 29-year-old recorded career highs in batting average (.309), home runs (34) and wins above replacement (3.2) while adding 100 RBI. He earned his first selection to the All-Star Game and his first Silver Slugger award.

Castellanos was set to make a guaranteed $34 million over the next two seasons, but he chose to opt out of the final two years of his contract. The Reds gave him an $18.4 million qualifying offer, but he declined it to test the open market.

The Padres finished the 2021 season with a 79-83 record and failed to make the playoffs. San Diego's team offense was average last year, ranking 17th in batting average (.242) and 23rd in home runs (180). The power bat of Castellanos would be a good fit in the middle of the Padres' lineup.

San Diego already has a solid core of outfielders with Wil Myers, Jurickson Profar and Trent Grisham. With the expected implementation of the universal designated hitter, the potential addition of Castellanos would give the Padres some much-needed depth.

MLB and the MLBPA have until 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement to avoid a lockout.

The Seattle Mariners acquired All-Star second baseman Adam Frazier from the San Diego Padres on Saturday.

The Padres received left-handed relief pitcher Ray Kerr and outfield prospect Corey Rosier, a 12th-round pick in the 2021 MLB draft, in return.

ESPN's Jeff Passan initially reported the deal.

Frazier was selected to the All-Star Game after a red-hot start to the 2021 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He posted a .324 batting average and .836 OPS across 98 appearances before getting traded to the Padres in late July.

The 29-year-old Georgia native saw his numbers fade after the deal. He compiled a lackluster .662 OPS with five stolen bases and one home run in 57 games for San Diego.

"I definitely probably put a little too much pressure on myself," Frazier told Dennis Lin of The Athletic in late August amid his struggles.

The second baseman, who can also play the corner outfield positions, owns a solid .344 career on-base percentage, but he's never been a major contributor in other categories. His career-high totals in homers (10) and stolen bases (10) don't jump off the page, making him more of a glue guy than a lineup cornerstone.

Frazier will initially slot in as the M's projected starting second baseman for 2022. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Seattle is still looking to upgrade its lineup, which could potentially move the Mississippi State product into a super-utility role.

Meanwhile, the Padres receive two players still working toward their first MLB appearances.

Kerr, 27, will likely get his first chance at the big leagues in 2022. He's got ample upside as a lefty who can hit 100 mph on the radar gun, but getting his command on track has taken some time. He improved his walk rate considerably from 2019 (4.99 BB/9) to 2021 (3.63) in the minors, but there's still work to do.

Rosier, 22, split his first season of professional ball between the Rookie League and Low-A. He showed a lot of promise with a 1.022 OPS, 13 steals and three homers in 32 games. He's still likely two or three years away from playing a key role in the majors, though.

All told, San Diego didn't get the type of production it expected from Frazier after the deadline deal, but it was able to recoup some value by trading him to the Mariners.