San Diego Padres: Who is in the mix for a corner outfield position?
The offseason is an exciting time of the year for San Diego Padres fans. Usually, Padres general manager A.J. Preller is attempting to reload rather than rebuild the roster for the coming season. And 2022 will not be the exception.
The San Diego Padres clinched a postseason berth in 2020 but were a major disappointment in 2021. Changes to the starting nine are coming. Left fielder Tommy Pham is a free agent. The Padres are not expected to make a contract offer to him. It is not impossible to believe that Preller has done his work to identify several hard-hitting outfielders as possible replacements for Pham.
Let’s take a look at those outfield options for the San Diego Padres
Nick Castellanos, Cincinnati Reds
One of the major flaws for the 2021 Padres was their inability to score runs. In 2020, the Friars averaged 5.35 runs per game. However, it was a different story in 2021. The Padres averaged 4.50 runs per game for the season, but only 2.33 runs in the last three months of the campaign.
The chief problem was hitting (.235) with runners in scoring position. The Friars stranded 3.64 runners in scoring position per game, which ranked them near the bottom (28th) in the majors. The addition of Nick Castellanos would bring a proven run producer to the batting lineup.
He will not come cheap as Castellanos is expected to receive a nine-figure free-agent contract deal this offseason. Interest grew after his career year with the Cincinnati Reds in 2021.
Castellanos batted .309 with 41 home runs, 95 runs scored, and 100 runs batted in. The slugger showed to be a far better all-around hitter than your typical home run hitter. He posted the lowest strikeout (20.7%) ratio of his career.
Some may object to the signing of Castellanos because the Padres would be adding another right-handed hitter to the lineup. The move creates a righty-heavy batting order that is susceptible to left-handed pitching.
However, Castellanos splits against righty and lefty pitching dispels that notion. He batted .310 versus right-handers and .306 against left-handers. The data will force opposing teams to play a more traditional defensive set than an exaggerated shift against him.
The other drawback is not so easy to resolve. Castellanos’ glove is a concern as he does not have much range in the outfield. The Padres might be forced to move Wil Myers to left field and use Castellanos in right field. Defensively, it is their only logical move as right field in Petco Park offers less ground to cover for a defender.
It is a guarantee that the Friars will not stand pat following the conclusion of the lockout. The win-now mentality might force Preller to add another big-money contract to the ledger. If so, then Castellanos will be atop their wish list.
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.
Max Kepler, Minnesota Twins
A very intriguing trade option for the Padres could be Minnesota Twins Max Kepler, who would be a perfect middle-of-the-order addition to the Friars lineup. What team does not want another run-producing bat? Kepler has power, runs the bases well and has an above-average glove (+36 in defensive runs saved) in the outfield.
In seven major league seasons, Kepler has hit 120 home runs and driven in 357 runs with a .233 lifetime batting average. He is a left-handed hitter who balances the Friars batting order. Critics have thought the Padres struggles at the plate were caused by the lineup being too righty heavy.
Another positive to acquiring Kepler is the money owed (a little over $16 million over two seasons) on his current deal, which is not a big commitment. The Padres would hold a $10 million club option in 2024 with a $1 million buyout.
The lone negative to acquiring Kepler is he becomes too much of a pull hitter when slumping at the plate. It allows the opposition to use exaggerated defensive shifts during his at-bats. A simple adjustment in Kepler’s batting approach could help him use more of the field to his advantage.
Acquiring a cost-controlled bat is a wise move. The deal allows the Padres to pivot more available money to fix other holes on the roster. You could see the Friars upgrade the starting rotation or add another piece to the bullpen.
Next. Chris Paddack facing a critical year in San Diego. dark
The Friars might be taking a risk of acquiring a player who could be on a steady decline at the plate. The front office must determine if Kepler’s batting issues are fixable. If not, the San Diego Padres must look elsewhere for an outfielder.