List of viable remaining free agents for the Padres to consider

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A look at the remaining free agent class and who may fit for the San Diego Padres. 

The San Diego Padres need players.

With exactly zero major league contracts handed out this winter, the Padres are full of wholes on the roster.

The largest issue is who will play left field for the club. Currently, Tirso Ornelas is arguably the favorite at the position, but he has yet to debut in the majors. The Padres also need help in the infield, catcher, and starting pitcher. Time is ticking as we are less than one month from baseball in Peoria.

Of the remaining players, DO NOT expect the Padres to be players in Alex Bregman or Pete Alonso. They will also likely not make any effort to bring in Jack Flaherty, who is the best option for the starting pitcher position.

Instead, the Padres will dumpster dive for talent and look to secure players who are highly motivated to produce in 2025. Some of the men listed below will have an excellent 2025 season. It is up to the Padres to determine who has anything left in the tank.

There are some options, but wading through this list is difficult.

Some of these players are obviously at the tail end of their careers. Expecting much production is a huge risk. But here we are.

The Padres will need to fill out their roster soon.

Here is a look at the options currently available in the free agent market.

 

Catcher

Yasmani Grandal

James McCann

Elias Diaz

At this point, Luis Campusano and Martin Maldonado are the catching tandem for the Padres. Campusano brings offensive upside but little glovework. Maldanado was once considered a top defender but not much of a threat from the right side. This is not an ideal option for the Padres behind the plate, but that is what is currently on the roster.

Of these three free agents, McCann may be the best option. Grandal is also possible, but honestly the team will likely look for a trade to upgrade at this position.

 

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First Base

Justin Turner

Anthony Rizzo

Joey Gallo

Ty France

Rowdy Tellez

The Padres have Jake Cronenworth and Luis Arraez at first base right now, but there is room for another hitter. At this point, there are some options, but what do they have in the tank? France and Turner are right-handed hitters with a veteran pedigree. Rizzo, Gallo, and Tellez are lefties with power (well, maybe not Rizzo).

Signing one of these men makes sense for San Diego. Heck, two even make sense, as the Padres also need DH options as they head into the 2025 season.

 

Infield

Ha-Seong Kim

Jose Iglesias

Yoan Moncada

Whit Merrifield

Brendan Rodgers

Nicky Lopez

Nick Madrigal

There are some interesting names here, led by Kim, who the Padres still likely value. He walked away to explore free agency, but his shoulder issues and a down 2024 season seem to have scared off any momentum Kim had gathered before the 2024 season. At one time, Kim looked to be a popular choice for several teams, but that has diminished.

Iglesias carried the Mets late in the year, and it is a wonder they have not re-signed the infielder. Yoan Moncada was once considered a future star, but those days are long ago. The other options are possible, but the Padres must be convinced they have something left in the tank.

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Outfield

Jurickson Profar

Mark Canha

Austin Hays

Alex Verdugo

Tommy Pham

Adam Duvall

David Peralta

Harrison Bader

Kike Hernandez

Manuel Margot

Ramon Laureano

Jurickson Profar is the huge get here, as the Padres have a glaring hole in left field. Profar still wants a lot of money and the suddenly cash-strapped Padres are playing coy in signing the veteran. Peralta had a great season last year for the Padres, but they have yet to offer him a deal for 2025.

Austin Hays, Alex Verdugo, and Mark Canha are all capable of playing and earning at-bats, but there are question marks for each man. The other options in this list are just names. Most will sign in the coming weeks, but a few will slip through the cracks, and the Padres may be able to sign a veteran at close to the league minimum.

 

Starting pitcher

Jack Flaherty

Clayton Kershaw

Max Scherzer

Jose Quintana

Cal Quantrill

Anthony DeSclafani

Jack Flaherty would be expensive, and the Padres surely could not afford him. Kershaw and Scherzer are likely future hall-of-famers, but each is at the end of their career and a huge injury risk. The Padres need arms, but they likely cannot throw money away on a pitcher who is at risk.

Cal Quantrill and Anthony DeSclafani are younger options, and each could enjoy a productive 2025 season. Quantrill may be a nice addition for the Padres, but his price may be too much for San Diego. The likely scenario is that the Padres trade for young pitching who is under team control.

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