San Diego Padres: Who is in the mix for a corner outfield position?

Seiya Suzuki, Hiroshima Carp

The odds are high that Preller will be in the mix to sign Japanese baseball superstar Seiya Suzuki once his team, the Hiroshima Carp, post him on the open market. All major clubs would have a 30-day window to negotiate a deal with Suzuki once the posting becomes official.

However, the lockout has halted the process as no team is allowed to contact Suzuki during the work stoppage. And depending on the date of a new collective bargaining agreement, it may shorten the time allowed to secure a deal with Suzuki.

No question that he has the talent to succeed in the majors. At 27 years old, Suzuki is in the prime of his baseball career and ready to challenge the top MLB pitchers stateside.

His career totals with Hiroshima include a .315 batting average, 182 home runs, 562 runs batted in, and 82 stolen bases. Suzuki won the Central League Golden Glove Award five times, was a six-time Best Nine Award winner, and played on the Gold Medal-winning Tokyo team at the 2020 Summer Games.

The Padres need an outfielder who has a proven stick. The addition of Suzuki is what the doctor ordered. It will not be hard for him to match or exceed Pham’s 2021 production. Also, Suzuki offers another quality glove in the outfield.

Currently, the Friars outfield set features Trent Grisham and Wil Myers. Suzuki is a centerfielder by trade. His athleticism would be a welcome sight in left field at Petco Park. If Grisham needs an occasional day off, Suzuki can shift over to center field with no loss defensively.

As good of a fit as Suzuki might be with the Padres, some might question if this type of free-agent signing is a wise investment. Absolutely is the correct answer.

The signing of Suzuki is a perfect opportunity to add another superstar to the roster. It’s the type of big splash move the Friar Faithful has come to expect from Preller.