The San Diego Padres have made nearly every big move this Hot Stove season, and they don’t appear to be done just yet.
The San Diego Padres have done something that fan bases have hoped their team would do. After making a surprise run into the postseason, the Padres built upon it in the offseason in huge ways. This Hot Stove season, the Padres added the likes of Blake Snell, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove. You would think that would be enough, but apparently not.
During an appearance on XTRA 1360 in San Diego, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune has heard general manager A.J. Preller is “working on something” and that he would be in “shock if it comes together.”
What could Preller have up his sleeves?
If Preller has shown us anything this offseason, it’s that he’s not afraid to make a big splash.
The Padres started off their Hot Stove season by signing Mike Clevinger to a two-year deal, but is expected to miss the entirety of 2021 due to Tommy John surgery. So, Preller decided to acquire Snell from the Tampa Bay Rays, Darvish from the Chicago Cubs and Musgrove from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Lose one starting pitcher, acquire three starters. That is the A.J. Preller way.
Besides the pitchers, the Padres signed top international free agent Ha-seong Kim to a four-year, $28 million contract. In his seven seasons with the Nexen/Kiwoom Heroes of the Korean Baseball Organization, Kim slashed .294/.373/.493 while recording 133 home runs and 575 RBI.
The most recent move by Preller was probably his most important. Last week, the Padres signed superstar shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. to a 14-year, $340 million contract at the age of 24.
Considering this is the Padres and Preller, all fans can do is speculate that it will be a massive transaction.