Padres General Manager AJ Preller is well known for his willingness to swing trades and acquire talent in free agency, something that has propelled San Diego to the playoffs two out of the last three years.
This offseason? The complete opposite, as the Padres had not signed a Major League free agent deal until Thursday. That deal was a one-year contract handed out to catcher Elias Diaz, who finished the 2024 season with San Diego after being released by the Rockies.
twitter.com/Padres/status/1885122666841203012A former All-Star (and All-Star Game MVP), Diaz appeared in 12 games after joining the Padres, where he hit .190 since he primarily served as a backup catcher to Kyle Higashioka.
With Higashioka gone on a free-agent deal with the Rangers, Diaz may enter Spring Training as the projected starting catcher, although San Diego could still add more catching depth before the start of the season. With Preller’s history of swinging trades, a move could happen at any point.
In other Padres news, the team announced Friday they avoided arbitration with pitcher Michael King. The two parties settled on a $7.75 million contract for next season with included bonuses and a mutual option for the 2026 season.
Acquired in the Juan Soto trade with the Yankees, King’s first season in San Diego was a big success. The 29-year-old struck out 201 batters over 173 ⅔ innings, to the tune of a 2.95 ERA. King was a potential trade candidate due to his expiring contract, as he will be eligible for free agency following the season.
Outside of losing Higashioka to Texas, the Padres also saw outfielder Jurickson Profar and infielder Ha-Seong Kim sign contracts with the Atlanta Braves and the Tampa Bay Rays, respectively.
Multiple teams in the National League West did not stand pat this winter. The Dodgers, Giants and Diamondbacks took big swings in free agency to improve their roster.
If no further acquisitions are made, the Padres will hope to get more out of their current roster in hopes to return to the playoffs for a second straight season.
-The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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