Oct 1, 2020; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) reacts after hitting a three-run home run during the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
The San Diego Padres have had an active offseason, but they are not resting as a big contract with Fernando Tatis Jr. looms.
The San Diego Padres have been aggressive this offseason, trading for Blake Snell and Yu Darvish to bolster their starting rotation and signing KBO star Ha-Seong Kim. But a big order of business has been on the radar, and MLB reporter Hector Gomez has passed along that a large contact extension with shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. is being negotiated.
According to the report from Pio Deportes in the Dominican Republic, the offer the Padres are lined up to present Tatis with is worth $320 million over 11 years.
Going back to mid-October, there were indications the Padres and Tatis were talking about a contract extension. Less than a week ago now, general manager A.J. Preller said the time had come to “start to dig in” on a new deal with Tatis.
“We wanted to focus during the beginning part of the offseason on improving our ball club and then get to the new year and start to dig in on Tatis’ situation,” Preller told MLB Network Radio on Sunday. “We’ve had very preliminary-type conversations just letting each other know that there’s interest there. Hopefully we’re on common ground to work something out at some point before the season.”
Fernando Tatis Jr. is the face of the Padres
Tatis has four years of team control left, including all three years of arbitration eligibility. If he were to hit free agency on that timetable, which isn’t happening, he would still only be 25 years old after the 2024 season. In the wake of the New York Mets acquiring Francisco Lindor, the Padres may have some extra motivation to get a deal done.
Tatis was made the centerpiece of a Padres’ rebuild that yielded the franchise’s first playoff berth in 14 years last season. His personality, and talent to back it up, makes him the face of the franchise as the Padres shoot for higher aspirations next season and beyond. A mega-deal to keep him around for many years to come seems to be a formality.