The San Diego Padres are one of eight clubs hoping to sign an outfielder this offseason, according to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez.
“The teams that have entertained signing an outfielder include the Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds,” Gonzalez posted on Twitter.
It is worth noting that the New York Mets signed Jesse Winker and the Toronto Blue Jays signed Anthony Santander following this story. This leaves the Padres, Los Angeles Angels, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, and Cincinnati Reds still looking for an outfielder.
San Diego’s most obvious signing target is Friars free agent Jurickson Profar.
More news: MLB Insider provides a massive update on Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar’s free agency
Earlier in the winter, it was claimed that the outfielder and Padres were both interested in reuniting. However, it’s unclear whether the Padres can afford to spend so much money on Profar.
Given San Diego’s financial condition, the Padres may consider more economical alternatives to Profar. Beyond an outfielder, the Padres must address other issues in the bullpen, infield, and starting rotation.
San Diego is also aiming to slash salary, which will most likely be accomplished by moving away players. Though trades may give some financial relief to the organization, they would result in the departure of more players, creating additional vacancies on the roster.
Profar’s 2024 slash line was.280/.380/.459, with a career-high 24 home runs, 29 doubles, 85 runs batted in, and 94 runs. There is speculation that his success with the Padres in 2024 was a one-off rather than an indication of future consistency. This notion may be examined by the Padres as they analyze the benefits and drawbacks of signing Profar.
MLB analyst Jon Morosi believes the outfielder should receive more attention this winter.
“Profar is a switch-hitter, and the lack of general discussion about this man is just baffling to me,” Morosi recently observed on MLB Network. “Because you look at what he did last year, he’s not an old player, he’s entering his age-32 season.”
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