Is Ty France a top 5 free agent signing in history of the Padres?
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Where does the signing of Ty France rank amongst some of the best free agent pickups in Padres history?
Could he be a top 5 free agent signing?
It is no secret that France’s emergence has been a key part of keeping San Diego’s playoff hopes afloat during a rough first half and a strong second half. Providing a bat in the middle of the lineup, as well as a Gold Glove at first base, the Aztec alum has been a great story for the 2026 Padres.
Speaking of great free agent pick-ups by the Padres, let’s revisit five successful free agent signings that San Diego made in the past.
Ty France
France signed with the Padres on a minor league deal with an invite to major league spring training.
It was unknown what his role would be with the additions of some other right-handed bats, Miguel Andujar and Nick Castellanos. In spring training, France batted .302 and had an OPS of .862. It would be hard to keep France off the Opening Day roster.
The infielder cracked the roster out of spring training and has done nothing but contribute.
In 108 games, France has recorded a wRC+ of 140, all while crushing 18 home runs and driving in 56 runs. The 32-year-old has a traditional slash line of .288/.356/.506.
With the glove, Ty France has the best field run value in MLB amongst all first basemen, with 8. France has blossomed into the starting first baseman of the 2026 Padres, with Gavin Sheets struggling for the majority of the year, and with Jake Cronenworth finding a home at second base.
Loretta signed a one-year deal with the Padres before the 2003 season, moving from Houston to America’s Finest City.
The 31-year-old second baseman put up a 4.9 bWAR season in 2003, collecting 185 hits and batting .314. But it wouldn’t be until the next year that Loretta really made his mark as a member of the Padres. Loretta signed a two-year extension worth $5.25 million to keep himself in San Diego until after the 2005 season.
In 2004, Loretta had the honor of being a first-time MLB All-Star as he took home a Silver Slugger award, in a season where he had 208 hits, including 47 doubles. Loretta’s 47 doubles in 2004 mark the second-most doubles in a season by a Padre, behind Tony Gwynn‘s 49 double campaign in 1997. In 2004, the Padres finished third in the NL West behind the Dodgers and Giants, missing out on the postseason.
A name that many Padres fans are not familiar with is Bruce Hurst.
Hurst spent nine years with the Red Sox before he became a free agent.
The lefty signed with the Padres before the 1989 season, for a three-year deal worth $5.25 million. In 1989, Hurst was absolutely fantastic for the club. The lefty logged a 6.5 bWAR season where he tossed 244 2/3 innings, good for an ERA of 2.69. Hurst tossed 10 complete games for the Friars that season, leading them to an 89-73 season, just barely missing out on the postseason.
The James Shields signing in 2015, at the start of A.J. Preller’s tenure as Padres PBO and GM, will go down in history as one of the greatest moves in Padres’ history. This isn’t for Shields’ performance on the mound as a member of the organization, but because of the generational return that San Diego received when they dealt him.
Shields posted a 4.00 ERA in 2015 and 2016 as a Padre but was later dealt to the Chicago White Sox in 2016 as they looked to contend for the playoff spot.
To San Diego went right-handed pitcher Erik Johnson and 17-year-old Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tatis Jr., who had not appeared in a single professional game before being traded, has become a cornerstone to the Padres franchise, recently becoming second on the all-time home run leaderboard in team history. Shields in Chicago, on the other hand, had an ERA of 5.31 across three seasons, becoming a negative bWAR player with -0.3.
It’s hard to talk about free agent signings in the history of the Padres and not talk about Manny Machado.
Signing with the club for a $300 million deal for 10 years in 2019, it was the beginning of a new era in San Diego. Machado, the three-time MLB All-Star as a Padre, became the all-time home run leader in Padres’ history in 2024.
The kid from Hialeah, Florida, has won three Silver Slugger awards, with all three of them won as a Padre in 2020, 202,4 and 2025. Appearing in 1099 games as a Padre, Machado has 218 home runs, slashing .268/.335/.476, becoming the captain and leader of the franchise for the foreseeable future. Machado’s a future Hall of Famer and will certainly go into the Hall with the brown and gold.
Free agent signings are major parts of a team, and A.J. Preller has hit on some low-risk/high-reward players in the past few years, Ty France being a great example of that. France’s reunion with the team that drafted him in the 34th round in the 2015 draft is a full-circle story.
After struggling to find his swing over the past few seasons, bouncing between teams, France found it in the city where he played college baseball under Tony Gwynn. As the Padres push for a Postseason spot, they will need France to keep providing to the club like he has been. Whether the Padres make a deep postseason run or not, this minor league flyer will be remembered as one of the best steals of the offseason and just maybe, in Padres’ history.
Angel grew up a San Diego sports fan, following the Padres, SDSU athletics, San Diego FC, as well as the Chargers. He is currently a student at San Diego State University, majoring in Journalism with an emphasis in Public relations.