The San Diego Padres and veteran free agent Kike Hernandez are talking. 

Kike Hernandez is deciding between four teams, and the San Diego Padres are one of them.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the veteran infielder-outfielder is said to be deciding between the Angels, Twins, Giants, and Padres.

The 32-year-old is coming off an unproductive year for the Red Sox and Dodgers in 2023, where he posted a .646 OPS in 465 at-bats between the two clubs.

The Padres may view Hernandez as a possible centerfield solution. Currently, Jose Azocar is penciled in as the team’s starting outfielder in the middle position. Azocar is 27 and has less than 300 at-bats at the major league level. The Padres would be taking a huge risk starting the season with the right-handed hitter as their starter in center.

Hernandez is a capable center fielder, though he is not considered a Gold Glove-caliber defender.

In 10 seasons in the majors, Hernandez has started over 300 games and played in over 2,600 innings at the position. In fact, it is the position he has played the most at the highest level of professional baseball. Hernandez has experience, but you have to wonder if his body can hold up to playing the position at an everyday level.

In October, the utility player underwent double-hernia surgery. Kike Hernandez is expected to be fully healthy and ready for action this spring.

The Padres need left-handed bats within the lineup, so an addition of Hernandez (a right-handed hitter) is slightly head-scratching.

The bottom line is there are not many options left on the free agent market who can play center. It is also quite clear that the Padres are in no hurry to deal prospects to obtain players. A.J. Preller and his staff seemed to have changed gears when it came to the philosophy of moving young talent. It will take a huge haul for the Padres to trade away their top prospects.

Kike Hernandez is a lifetime .239 hitter with a career OPS of .719 in 3,500 plate appearances. His value is as a bench or role-player capable of playing several different positions. The Padres would probably be wise not to rely on Hernandez for 500 at-bats. But at the same time, they are clearly running out of options as the team prepares for its first game in Korea next month.

The two sides are talking, and that is interesting.

Hernandez made $10 million last year and will undoubtedly take a significant pay cut. The Padres have some money to spend, but it is not entirely clear how much. Signing this veteran would be relatively cheap, and that is certainly attractive to the Padres.

A.J. Preller and his staff will continue to dumpster dive for talent this spring. But, at some point, the roster must be constructed. Chemistry must be developed. There is no time like the present to fill the roster. Expect a flurry of moves in the next few weeks as the Padres patch the holes in the roster. Kike Hernandez could be one of those patches.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.