San Diego Padres could have a Fernando Tatis Jr. problem

The San Diego Padres have invested a great deal into Fernando Tatis Jr. to be the present and future of their franchise. It was easy to understand why they handed him a 14 year extension worth $340 million – he has the potential to be a power and speed threat at short for years to come, the type of player that can lead the Padres to their first championship.

But there were concerns about this investment. Tatis had just 143 games of major league experience at the time, making that long term deal a tremendous leap of faith. If Tatis regressed or was unable to live up to his potential, the Padres could come to regret that deal.

Fernando Tatis Jr. causing concerns for San Diego Padres

Tatis has struggled in the early going offensively. He has just four hits, albeit with two homers, in his 27 plate appearances, striking out nine times. However, he did miss time due to an ongoing shoulder issue and has appeared in just six games entering Saturday. The bat will come around.

This does not mean that Tatis is without cause for concern. His defense has been atrocious thus far in 2021, as he leads the National League with five errors. Tatis is already considered to have cost the Padres three runs in his limited time, and his .773 fielding percentage hearkens back to the days of teams playing in cow fields and the players not wearing gloves.

In theory, Tatis has all the measurables that one would look for to be a solid defensive shortstop. His athleticism is unquestioned, and he has an impressive arm. Despite having a big frame for the position, he has excellent range.

But there were concerns that he would need to move to third even before he reached the major league level as he was expected to outgrow the position. Fortunately, the Padres do have several players capable of handling short, including current third baseman Manny Machado, if such drastic measures need to happen.

Obviously, it is still early in the season. And these errors could be due, in part, to those shoulder issues that will eventually require surgery. But his defensive woes have to be a concern to the Padres as they take aim at knocking the Dodgers from their perch atop the NL West.

Fernando Tatis Jr. has been a disaster defensively thus far in 2021. It may not be a cause for alarm now, but it is something for the San Diego Padres to watch.