The biggest news of the day regarding the San Diego Padres was the multi-year extension for president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller. However, that was not the only news of the day as the Padres agreed to minor league deals with first baseman Ty France and starting pitcher Walker Buehler. San Diego had a quiet offseason leading up to Spring Training, but the news came early and often starting Saturday when the Padres signed Nick Castellanos, Griffin Canning and German Marquez. Preller appears to have addressed all the needs on the San Diego roster and has created a high-level of competition for coveted roster spots that should make for an exciting Spring Training in Peoria, Ariz. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball compared the roster at this point last season to the current roster and believes the overall quality of the team has improved, which could make for a successful 2026.
Padres News:
- Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribunebelieves the extension for Preller is a positive for the general manager and a potential new owner.
- After the announcement of the extension for Preller, Padres Chairman John Seidler and Padres CEO Erik Greupner met with the media. It was the first public comments from Seidler since the announcement of an exploration for a potential sale. He assured the media in attendance the Padres would not be moved out of San Diego and added that there is significant interest in the team from potential buyers.
- The addition of Marquez was made official Monday. In a corresponding move, the Padres moved Jhony Brito to the 60-day injured list.
Baseball News:
- Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo Lopez ended his live batting practice session early with elbow soreness. It was reported that he was scheduled to undergo imaging to determine if there is any structural damage.
- There were multiple major league players who signed minor league deals with new teams on Monday. Outfielder Mike Tauchman and the New York Mets agreed to a minor league deal and Adam Frazier and the Los Angeles Angels agreed to a minor league deal.
- New San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello delivered comments about his departure from the University of Tennessee clarifying when he made his decision, how the team was informed and what needed to happen for him to take the job in San Francisco.
- Angels superstar Mike Trout met with the media and stated he is healthy, feels good and his sights set on a return to centerfield.
- Los Angeles Dodgers utility player Tommy Edman, who is recovering from an ankle surgery, is set to miss Opening Day. The injury creates a hole in the Dodgers’ lineup and could provide an opportunity for Hyeseong Kim to make the roster as a starter out of Spring Training.