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Padres Press Clips Monday, January 28, 2019

Article Source Author Pg. The Padres are not ruling out a run at Harper or Machado at the right price The Athletic Rosenthal/Lin 2 Padres land record 10 on Top 100 Prospects list MLB.com Cassavell 4 Machado, Padres a surprisingly good match MLB.com Cassavell 6 You won't want to miss this Padres series MLB.com Leitch 8 Paddack's tools stand out among top prospects MLB.com Callis 9 Padres bringing back brown in unis in 2020 MLB.com Adler 12 Inbox: Who is Padres' 3B on Opening Day? MLB.com Cassavell 13 The Padres are bringing back the brown uniforms, so let's all cheer Cut4 Clair 16 Padres roster review: Trey Wingenter SD Union Tribune Sanders 17 Padres are now chasing Manny Machado SD Union Tribune Acee 20 Padres returning to brown, gold color scheme starting in 2020 Associated Press AP 22 #PadresOnDeck: Record 10 Padres on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 List FriarWire Lafferty 23 #PadresOnDeck: Three Relievers Knocking on the Door — Wingenter, Wieck, FriarWire Center 25 Valdez Top 50 Individual Seasons FriarWire Center 27 Top 50 Moments — Ozzie Smith Makes Greatest Play in Padres’ History FriarWire Center 29 2019 Position Rankings: Catcher Baseball America Glaser 31 MLB Trade Rumors: Padres Interested in Arranging a Meeting With Manny SI.com Caron 33 Machado Five reasons why the timing is perfect for the Padres to swoop in and sign CBSSports.com Snyder 34 Manny Machado

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The Padres are not ruling out a run at Harper or Machado at the right price By Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin Jan 25, 2019

When it comes to Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, the Padres did not qualify as a mystery team until

recently. Now, their interest in at least one of the two free agents is no secret.

The Padres have done background work on both Machado and Harper, according to major-league sources.

They have checked in with their representatives, as first reported by FanCred’s Jon Heyman. And while

they are more likely to spend big next offseason than they are this one, they are not ruling out a run at

Machado or Harper at the right price, sources said.

Machado, who would address a glaring positional need, appears to have moved to the forefront. The

Padres have expressed interest in arranging a meeting with the third baseman, possibly in Miami, sources

said Saturday. Team officials would like to get some face time before becoming more involved with the

free agent.

Other potential suitors — teams with higher revenues and better rosters than the Padres — surely are

playing the same game, waiting to pounce if either or both players become available at reasonably

favorable terms. For now, the Padres remain a “longshot” for a major strike, according to one source

familiar with their thinking. Two other sources said they would be “shocked” if either Harper or Machado

landed in San Diego.

The Padres already have one player earning $20 million annually, first baseman Eric Hosmer, and another

whose salary will rise to that level next season, outfielder Wil Myers. Assuming Harper and Machado

command salaries in the $30 million range annually, the Pads would be paying three players a combined

$70 million starting in ’20 — a significant burden for a low-revenue club, one that is only a few years

removed from undoing its last expensive buildup.

A trade of Myers almost certainly is inevitable, but unlikely to occur in the immediate future — the

Padres have been trying to move him all offseason, most likely in a salary exchange, with no success. The

team’s overall frustration with its inability to make trades despite a surplus of outfielders and abundance

of prospects — nine in Baseball America’s Top 100, tying the Rays for the most in the majors — is one

reason San Diego is taking a closer look at the free-agent market.

The Padres are intent on landing a third baseman, but at the moment, Greg Garcia and Ty France project

as their Opening Day starters at shortstop and third, respectively. Top prospect Fernando Tatís figures to

take over at short at some point in ’19. (Luis Urías can fill in, but his primary position is second base.)

Machado would fit best at third; playing him at short and moving Tatís to third would be less likely.

Some Padres officials initially were concerned about Machado’s makeup, but the team grew more

comfortable with the idea of adding him after soliciting the opinions of some of their own players and

others. Third baseman Mike Moustakas, however, remains a more realistic free-agent target. The Padres

are cool on the Phillies’ Maikel Franco, who would become available in trade if Machado went to

Philadelphia, a source said.

Harper makes less positional sense than Machado, given the Padres’ abundance of outfielders, with or

without Myers. But some with the club believe Harper will outperform whatever contract he receives. If

the Padres signed him, they would need to resolve their logjam in the outfield and perhaps sign

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Moustakas to play third — both Harper and Moustakas are represented by agent Scott Boras, as is

Hosmer.

The more likely course remains for the Padres to pursue more modest acquisitions, gather more

information on their young talent in ’19, then plunge more seriously into free agency next offseason. That

class could include two accomplished third basemen, Nolan Arenado and Anthony Rendon, along with

starting pitchers Chris Sale, Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander, as well as others.

For the right price, however, the Padres may be willing to strike now.

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Padres land record 10 on Top 100 Prospects list Tatis (No. 2 overall) leads group of San Diego's future stars By AJ Cassavell MLB.com @AJCassavell Jan. 26th, 2019

SAN DIEGO -- The Padres' farm system has been the toast of Minor League Baseball for nearly two years now. Believe it or not, that system might actually be getting better.

MLB Pipeline released its preseason ranking of the Top 100 prospects on Saturday night, and the list again skews heavily toward San Diego. The Padres became the first team in the history of the rankings to place 10 prospects on the preseason list.

Top shortstop prospect Fernando Tatis Jr. leads the way at No. 2 overall, with MacKenzie Gore, Luis Urias, Francisco Mejia and Chris Paddack all among the top 34.

Using MLB Pipeline's system of "prospect points," the Padres rank first by a long shot, with a record 574. Prospect points are used to show how well clubs rank in terms of their representation within the Top 100, with each prospect being assigned a value -- 100 for No. 1, 99 for No. 2 and so forth. The Padres' mark of 574 is the most ever recorded on any prospect list -- preseason or midseason.. 26th, 2019

Here's the full list of the 10 Padres prospects in MLB Pipeline's rankings.

2. Fernando Tatis Jr., SS 15. MacKenzie Gore, LHP 23. Luis Urias, 2B 26. Francisco Mejia, C 34. Chris Paddack, RHP 48. Luis Patino, RHP 49. Adrian Morejon, LHP 72. Michel Baez, RHP 74. Logan Allen, LHP 93. Ryan Weathers, LHP

That group represents a fairly even mix between the different levels of the Padres' system. Five of those youngsters -- Tatis, Urias, Mejia, Paddack and Allen -- will be in big league camp competing for jobs. Both Urias and Mejia are favorites for the Opening Day roster at this point. Tatis, the presumed shortstop of the future in San Diego, is expected to arrive in the first half of the season.

But the strength of the Padres' system lies in its depth. And at the lower levels, that depth is heavily skewed toward pitching.

Gore, Morejon, Allen and Weathers all rank among MLB Pipeline's Top 10 left-handers. They became the first quartet from a single team to finish in the top 10 rankings at any position.

, 2019

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The annual ranking of MLB's Top 100 prospects is assembled by MLB Pipeline Draft and prospect experts Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis and Mike Rosenbaum, who compile input from industry sources, including scouts and scouting directors. It is based on analysis of players' skill sets, upsides, proximity to the Majors and potential immediate impact to their teams. Only players with rookie status entering the 2019 season are eligible for the list. Players who were at least 25 years old when they signed and played in leagues deemed to be professional (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Cuba) are not eligible.

Over the next month, MLB Pipeline will unveil its rankings of the top overall farm systems (which is different from the prospects points ranking, given that it takes a team's entire crop of prospects into account). The Padres are early favorites to lead the way for a third time in a row.

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Machado, Padres a surprisingly good match Free-agent slugger would check a lot of boxes By AJ Cassavell MLB.com @AJCassavell Jan. 26th, 2019

SAN DIEGO -- If, indeed, the Padres were the mystery team for Manny Machado, they aren't a mystery any longer.

The Friars are actively pursuing the superstar third baseman, as the San Diego Union-Tribune first reported.

The concept of a deal for Machado isn't so far-fetched. He is a surprisingly seamless fit in San Diego, assuming his price is reasonable. Here's a deeper look into that fit:

How would he fit positionally? Though he was once a highly touted shortstop prospect, Machado spent the first six seasons of his career at third base in Baltimore. He spent 2018 at shortstop.

In theory, he could play either position in San Diego in 2019. The Padres currently have Luis Urias slated to open the season at short, with Ian Kinsler at second. But Urias is believed to be the team's second baseman of the future, and if Machado fits best at short, Urias could slide back to second base. Kinsler could platoon at third.

Of course, Machado could just as easily play third in the short term. If that's the case, he'd almost certainly stick there. Fernando Tatis Jr., the No. 2 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, is the team's shortstop of the future and he could be called up within the first few months. It's easy to project a long-term infield of Machado at third, Tatis at short, Urias at second and Eric Hosmer at first.

PST

How would he fit financially? Obviously, Machado wouldn't come cheap. His contract would easily eclipse the $144 million deal the team gave to Hosmer last season. That was a franchise record, as was the $83 million contract given to Wil Myers in the previous offseason. A Machado signing would mean three consecutive offseasons in which the Padres eclipsed their past franchise record.

The thing is, after Machado, Hosmer and Myers, the Padres aren't tied up with a lot of money in contracts. They boast the best farm system in baseball -- with 10 players among MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects -- and all of them, including Tatis and Urias, will be on rookie contracts through 2024. They won't be eligible for arbitration until at least '21.

On top of that, players like Hunter Renfroe, Manuel Margot, Franmil Reyes, Joey Lucchesi and Eric Lauer are controllable through at least 2022 and in some cases '23. If the Padres' elite farm system pans out, the club can probably afford to invest heavily in a few expensive long-term deals because of the bargains they'll be getting elsewhere.

, 2019

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How would he fit the Padres' long-term plan? Machado would probably play at third -- possibly at short, if the team decides Tatis is ultimately better-suited for third. Either way, he's easy to fit into the long-term trajectory of the Padres. The team's biggest need is a middle-of-the-order bat and a third baseman. Machado checks both boxes.

Otherwise, their long-term lineup is surprisingly complete:

C: Austin Hedges or Francisco Mejia 1B: Hosmer 2B: Urias SS: Tatis Jr. 3B: Machado? LF: Myers CF: Margot/Franchy Cordero RF: Reyes/Renfroe

There are a few question marks in that lineup. But at those spots, the Padres generally have multiple options -- like center field and catcher. Plus, after the bullpen posted the fifth-best season ever recorded by Fangraphs WAR, San Diego believes its long-term relief options are also set.

That, of course, leaves the rotation as the last puzzle to solve -- and it's no small question mark. But the Friars might be content to bank on their top-ranked farm system to fill the gap over the next few years with youngsters like Chris Paddack, Logan Allen, MacKenzie Gore and Luis Patino.

The verdict There isn't a team in baseball that wouldn't improve significantly by signing Machado. He's a generational talent who can play a premier position (shortstop) or elite defense at another hard-to-find spot (third).

But Machado's fit with the Padres is probably better than it is almost anywhere else. San Diego probably doesn't have the resources to compete with some major-market teams, should those teams start bidding extensively and drive the price up. It doesn't appear as though that's happened -- in which case, there are a number of reasons why it's easy to envision Machado in Padres' blue (and eventually brown).

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You won't want to miss this Padres series By Will Leitch MLB.com @williamfleitch Jan. 27th, 2019

It is not too early -- it is never too early -- to start combing through the 2019 MLB schedule. We are, after all, exactly two months, today, away from the start of the season. It is so close now.

So, today we're going to help you out with your travel schedule. We're going to look at the spotlight series for each team this year, the one you won't want to miss. The one parameter: Each individual series can only be picked once, even though there are two teams playing in it. All games on a 162-game schedule are equal. But these are more equal than others.

Padres: at Yankees, May 27-29 The Padres haven't been to the new Yankee Stadium yet, but their fans remember playing in their most recent World Series at the old one back in 1998.

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Paddack's tools stand out among top prospects Blue Jays' Guerrero Jr. first to rank as best hitter and power hitter By Jim Callis MLB.com @JimCallisMLB Jan. 27th, 2019

We're running out of ways to say Blue Jays third-base prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is special, not that anyone really needs us to explain that. By leading the Minors in hitting (.381), slugging (.636) and OPS (1.120) while reaching Triple-A at age 19, he made that case all by himself.

But we'll try again as we break down the best individual tools on MLB Pipeline's just-released 2019 Top 100 Prospects list-- where Guerrero ranks No. 1. Last year, we detailed how he became the first prospect we ever gave the maximum grade on the 20-80 scouting scale for his hitting ability.

This year, Guerrero again earns an 80, which should come as no surprise. While that's not new, this is: He's the first player ever to rank as both the best hitter and the best power hitter on the same Top 100 since we started identifying superlatives in 2014.

Additionally, the sum of Guerrero's hitting and power (70) sets a new MLB Pipeline standard at 150, eclipsing his 145 total from 2018. Only five other players have managed even a 135: the late Oscar Taveras in 2014; Kris Bryant, Carlos Correa and Miguel Sano in 2015; and White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez this year.

With Guerrero expected to graduate to the big leagues this season, it may be a long time before we see another 80 hitter or a 150 combo of hit plus power tools on the Top 100 Prospects list. But he's not the only guy to claim multiple superlatives in this year's crop. Padres right-hander Chris Paddack possesses the best changeup as well as the best control.

Here are the best individual tools on this year's Top 100:

Best hitter: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B, Blue Jays (80) - ETA: 2019

Guerrero makes it look so easy at the plate, booming balls all over the field with his combination of hand-eye coordination, bat speed, pitch recognition and plate discipline. He's a career .331/.414/.529 hitter with 146 walks and 135 strikeouts in three years as a pro. For sake of comparison, his Hall of Fame father batted .343/.403/.581 with 95 walks and 115 whiffs in his first three pro seasons before reaching the Majors -- though Vlad Sr. was two years older than his son at the same stage. (ETA: 2019)

Also in the running: Wander Franco, SS, Rays; Keston Hiura, 2B, Brewers, Luis Urias, INF, Padres.

. 15th, 2019

Best power: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B, Blue Jays (70)

Guerrero's power is still developing but already impressive, as he boosted his slugging percentage from .472 in his first two years in pro ball to .636 as a teenager in the upper Minors

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in 2018. He already shows a propensity to crush all types of pitches to all fields, and his hitting ability should allow him to get the most out of his raw power, which could rate an 80 as well.

Also in the running: Peter Alonso, 1B, Mets; Nolan Gorman, 3B, Cardinals; Eloy Jimenez, OF, White Sox.

Fastest runner: Victor Robles, OF, Nationals (75) - ETA: 2019

Robles has the best all-around tools on the Top 100, a package that includes plus hitting ability to go with plus-plus defense and arm strength and nearly top-of-the-scale speed. During his time with the Nationals last year, he had a top sprint speed of 29.3 feet per second according to Statcast™, not too far behind big league leader Byron Buxton (30.5 feet/second).

Also in the running: Royce Lewis, SS, Twins; Cristian Pache, OF, Braves; Luis Robert, OF, White Sox.

Strongest arm: O'Neil Cruz, SS, Pirates (70) - ETA: 2021

Cruz seeks to become the first 6-foot-6 shortstop in big league history, as he's a surprisingly rangy defender for someone with his size and can make all the throws with a cannon arm. He also has raw power to match and profiles extremely well in right field or at third base, where he's more likely to wind up.

Also in the running: Francisco Mejia, C/OF, Padres; Sean Murphy, C, Athletics; Cristian Pache, OF, Braves; Victor Robles, OF, Nationals; Alex Verdugo, OF, Dodgers.

. 22nd, 2019

Best defender: Cristian Pache, OF, Braves (70) - ETA: 2020

While Robles is more polished, Pache may have better all-around raw tools. The consensus best defensive center fielder in the Minors, he also has well above-average arm strength and speed that would allow him to fit anywhere in the outfield. He's still figuring things out at the plate and on the bases, but he has a chance to become a plus hitter with average power.

Also in the running: Victor Victor Mesa, OF, Marlins; Sean Murphy, C, Athletics; Victor Robles, OF, Nationals.

Best fastball: Hunter Greene, RHP, Reds (80) - ETA: 2021

There may never have been a pitcher who generates triple-digit fastballs as effortlessly as Greene, who has a lightning-fast arm and a very athletic delivery. He worked at 100-103 mph in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game last July and sat in the upper 90s throughout his first full pro season, during which he struck out 89 in 68 1/3 low Class A innings.

Also in the running: Michael Kopech, RHP, White Sox; Nate Pearson, RHP, Blue Jays; Alex Reyes, RHP, Cardinals; Sixto Sanchez, RHP, Cardinals.

. 14th, 2019

Best curveball: Dylan Cease, RHP, White Sox (65) - ETA: 2019

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Cease has a hammer curveball with depth and power, and his mid-90s fastball is just as devastating. That combination helped him win recognition as MLB Pipeline's 2018 Pitcher of the Year after he posted a 2.40 ERA while ranking fifth in the Minors in opponent average (.189) and eighth in strikeout rate (11.6 per nine innings).

Also in the running: Matthew Liberatore, LHP, Rays; Alex Reyes, RHP, Cardinals; Touki Toussaint, RHP, Braves.

Best slider: J.B. Bukauskas, RHP, Astros (65) - ETA: 2020

Many scouts considered Bukauskas' fastball and slider the best 1-2 combo of pitches in the 2017 Draft. Though he can hit 98 mph with his heater, his slider is even better, arriving in the mid-80s with late, sharp bite. Despite battling a back injury, he fanned 71 in 59 innings last season.

Also in the running: Michael Kopech, RHP, White Sox; A.J. Puk, LHP, Athletics; Justus Sheffield, LHP, Mariners.

Best changeup: Chris Paddack, RHP, Padres (70) - ETA: 2019

Paddack works in the low 90s with his fastball and has a below-average curveball, yet he thrives because he possesses a dastardly changeup that tumbles at the plate after he sells it with near-perfect arm speed. After missing 2017 following Tommy John surgery, he returned last year and posted a 2.10 ERA with a 0.82 WHIP that would have led the Minors if he had enough innings to qualify.

Also in the running: Brent Honeywell, RHP, Rays; Josh James, RHP, Astros; Jesus Luzardo, LHP, Athletics; Forrest Whitley, RHP, Astros.

. 23rd, 2019

Best specialty pitch: Casey Mize, RHP, Tigers (splitter, 70) - ETA: 2020

The No. 1 overall pick last June, Mize had the nastiest pitch in the 2018 Draft class with a mid-80s splitter that dives at the plate and serves as his changeup. Hitters also have to guard against his mid-90s fastball and plus slider, so his splitter can make them look absolutely silly.

Also in the running: Brent Honeywell, RHP, Rays (screwball); Dustin May, RHP, Dodgers (cutter); Brendan McKay, LHP/1B, Rays (cutter).

Best control: Chris Paddack, RHP, Padres (65)

All of Paddack's pitches play up because he locates them so well. His 120/8 K/BB ratio and 0.8 walks per nine innings also would have topped the Minors if he had qualified, and his career marks as a pro are 230/20 and 1.0.

Also in the running: Brendan McKay, LHP/1B, Rays; Casey Mize, RHP, Tigers, Sixto Sanchez, RHP, Phillies; Mike Soroka, RHP, Braves.

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Padres bringing back brown in unis in 2020 By David Adler MLB.com @_dadler Jan. 25th, 2019

The Padres are, in fact, bringing brown back to their uniforms.

San Diego will wear some form of brown starting in 2020, sources confirmed to MLB.com's A.J. Cassavell on Friday. The team's plan to return to using brown uniforms was first reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune.

The Padres have notified MLB of the intended change, and they have until May to submit the final versions of their new uniforms. Per the report, the team started focus-group testing brown uniforms with Padres fans this week, with all the variations featuring brown-and-gold combinations.

The Padres have had blue and white as their primary color scheme since they moved to Petco Park, and they haven't used brown on a regular jersey since 1990. But executive chairman Ron Fowler hinted during the 2018 season that he expected San Diego to bring back brown uniforms and color schemes by '20.

The team has most recently worn brown and yellow throwback jerseys for Friday night home games.

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Inbox: Who is Padres' 3B on Opening Day?

Beat reporter AJ Cassavell fields offseason questions from fans By AJ Cassavell MLB.com @AJCassavell Jan. 25th, 2019

SAN DIEGO -- In less than a month, the Padres will be playing real baseball games.

Their Cactus League slate begins Feb. 23 against the Mariners, 10 days after pitchers and catchers report to Peoria, Ariz. It can't come soon enough.

Until then, here's another edition of the Padres Inbox to tide you over.

Who is the most likely Opening Day third baseman -- Ty France, Esteban Quiroz or Nick Senzel? -- Sean T.

You take those three, I'll take the field.

I don't think anyone from that trio is particularly likely. But among that group, it's France at No. 1, with Quiroz close behind. Then there's a huge gap before the Reds' Senzel, who's ranked as the sport's No. 2 third-base prospect by MLB Pipeline.

General manager A.J. Preller is clearly looking for a long-term third baseman, but Cincinnati probably isn't giving up Senzel. Yes, the Padres have interest (because of course they do). But their best chance of matching up might be by involving Cleveland. Three-team trades are notoriously difficult to pull off, and there's no indication this rumor has any legs.

In any case, it's far likelier that the Padres use free agency to add a third baseman. Marwin Gonzalez and Mike Moustakas remain available (as does Manny Machado, of course). Utility options like Yangervis Solarte and Adeiny Hechavarria would come cheap. I'd say there's a 50 percent chance that the Opening Day starter isn't on the roster yet. (And it isn't going to be Senzel either.)

What is the most likely scenario if all six outfielders are on the roster on Opening Day? -- Ryan W.

That's a sizable "if." Yes, the Padres have six players who have spent time as starting outfielders over the past two seasons. But there's still a decent chance for a trade before Opening Day. If not a trade, it'd also take some luck for all six to remain healthy. Franmil Reyes (knee) and Franchy Cordero (elbow) are coming off surgeries, and Wil Myers missed half of last season with various ailments.

But let's work with the assumption that those three, plus Hunter Renfroe, Manuel Margot and Travis Jankowski are all available. Someone's getting left off the Opening Day roster.

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Myers has a spot no matter what, and Margot and Renfroe would really have to struggle to miss out. I'll give Jankowski a place, too, mainly because he's an elite speed-and-defense threat, making him the perfect bench piece.

That leaves Reyes and Cordero -- both of whom the Padres want getting regular at-bats. It's easier to get Cordero those at-bats. He's a lefty hitter who could platoon with the righty starters at all three positions. Reyes would theoretically be stuck behind Renfroe in right. In this scenario, I'd guess Reyes opens the year in Triple-A. But I'd also guess he wouldn't be there for long.

23rd, 2019

Who has the best "stuff" of the starting pitchers on the roster right now? -- Eduardo

Is Matt Strahm a starting pitcher? If so, it's him. He gets swings and misses at an elite clip with three pitches, and he finished in the top 15 percent in opponents' batting average with all of those pitches.

Of course, Strahm has a long way to go before he's truly a "starting pitcher." First, he needs to prove that he can handle the workload. Last season, the Padres used him almost exclusively out of the bullpen, and they rarely used him on consecutive days. It was their way of easing his burden in his first year back from knee surgery.

This year, Strahm will report to camp as a starter. He's bulked up during the offseason, and he'll join a competition that should feature close to 10 candidates. Rest assured, if Strahm isn't in the Opening Day rotation, it won't be because of his "stuff." And if he's not in the Opening Day rotation, I'd pass the "best stuff" award to Joey Lucchesi.

(For the purposes of this exercise, we're ruling out Garrett Richards and Dinelson Lamet. Both are recovering from Tommy John surgery and are expected to open the season on the 60-day disabled list. If we counted them, Richards would be first, and Lamet would have a strong case for second.)

. 12th, 2018

Which non-roster invite is most likely to make the Padres' Opening Day roster? -- Tim T.

Funny, I had just finished answering this question when the Padres dropped their full list of 21 non-roster invites Thursday morning. Not that their list changes my answer:

The safest bet here is usually a relief pitcher. In the last two seasons, Adam Cimber and Craig Stammenworked their way on to the Opening Day squad without a 40-man roster spot. Kyle McGrath, T.J. Weir and Carlos Torres are early candidates to do the same.

But the hole is so glaring at third base that it's probably worth looking there first. Both Quiroz and Jason Vosler are not on the roster. Quiroz, 26, routinely reached base at a .400-plus clip during his seven seasons in the Mexican League, and he did so again in the Boston organization last year. Vosler, meanwhile, slugged 23 homers for Cubs affiliates in 2018.

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If France and Greg Garcia both make the Opening Day squad, there's still room for one more infielder. I'd lean toward Quiroz, who played second, third and short in the Mexican League. His versatility and OBP skills are precisely what the Padres need.

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The Padres are bringing back the brown uniforms, so let's all cheer By Michael Clair @michaelsclair January 25, 2019 at 3:50pm Wake up, fashion world, because brown is in. Yes, the earthy shade is set to take the world by storm in 2020. Why? The Padres are bringing the brown uniforms back. As reported in the San Diego Union-Tribune, the team has informed Major League Baseball that they will be wearing a new uniform set in 2020.

The team gave a focus group of fans a taste of what may come, displaying a few home and road offerings. "The home uniform choices included a pinstripe white version and two solid white versions with brown lettering and gold accents," Kevin Acee wrote. "Road choices were a solid tan and brown uniform and two choices that included a rich brown jersey with tan and brown pants, one of which had pinstripes."

Some fans in the Padres' focus group also got a taste of what may come, with a few home and road styles displayed for them.

Given the Padres' amazing range of brown uniforms in their past, it's not shocking that next year's options are equally varied. Dave Winfield rocked the mostly mustards:

Goose Gossage rocked the brown and orange unis. Note the "Taco Bell" cap -- so called because the shape of the yellow panel resembles the restaurant's famous bell logo:

Ozzie Smith is pictured in the dark brown and yellows:

With the greatest play in #Padres history and possibly the best in MLB, Ozzie Smith highlights today’s Top 50 moment in honor of our 50th Anniversary celebration. The Padres went with a pinstriped option in the late '80s:

In recent years, the team has worn a modern brown uniform for select home games.

While some people may find brown to be a less than ideal color for a baseball uniform, they: 1) are wrong and 2) have to admit it's a unique choice that captures the storied history of San Diego baseball.There are plenty of teams that wear blue, or red, or some combination of the two. But brown? That's only the Padres. That's a heritage the team should embrace.

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Padres roster review: Trey Wingenter Jeff Sanders

Sizing up the Padres’ 40-man roster, from A to Z, heading into the 2019 season:

TREY WINGENTER

• Position(s): Right-handed reliever • 2019 Opening Day age: 24 • Bats/throws: R / R • Height/weight: 6-foot-7 / 200 pounds • Acquired: 17th round in 2015 (Auburn) • Contract status: Made MLB debut in 2018 • Key stats: 0-0, 3.79 ERA, 0 saves, 27 strikeouts, 11 walks, 1.26 WHIP, .191 opponent

average (22 games, 19 innings)

STAT TO NOTE

• 97.4 – In miles per hour, Wingenter’s average fastball velocity. Among Padres pitchers, only RHP Robert Stock threw harder (97.5) in 2018. Across the game, Wingenter’s average fastball velocity ranked 13th among pitchers with at least 100 pitches.

TRENDING

• Up – As a high school junior, Wingenter had his heart set on a big league career as a catcher. A summer camp coach took one look at a lanky 6-foot-4 kid and put him on the mound. Wingenter has flourished ever since, throwing a handful of no-hitters as a high school senior, getting an offer to Auburn and then landing in the Padres system in the 2015 draft. He threw hard, but a break from throwing in his first offseason saw his velocity tick up from mid-90s up to 100 mph. Then his production really started to take off when he settled on a comfortable slider grip. He saved 20 games in Double-A San Antonio’s bullpen in 2017 (2.45 ERA), struck out 53 in 44 1/3 innings to start 2018 at Triple-A El Paso and generally impressed when called up to San Diego last August. His 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings over his 22 big league appearances even rated better than his showing at any level in the minors. That allowed him to get away with walking 5.2 batters per nine innings, well above the 3.7 he averaged in the minors.

2019 OUTLOOK

• Down the stretch, Wingenter starred in new-look bullpen that could be a strength in 2019, even if the two veterans – Kirby Yates and Craig Stammen – wind up on the

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trade block. Yates will open the season as the closer, Stammen is the likely fill-in and Wingenter leads a contingent of hard-throwing middle relievers in Andy Green’s bullpen. That could eventually lead to save opportunities, especially if Yates and Stammen follow Brad Hand out the trade door.

PADRES POWER RANKINGS (Currently 40 players on the 40-man roster; the list below reflects only the players reviewed thus far in the series)

1. Wil Myers 2. Eric Hosmer 3. Austin Hedges 4. Hunter Renfroe 5. Manuel Margot 6. Francisco Mejia 7. Franchy Cordero 8. Joey Lucchesi 9. Chris Paddack 10. Luis Urias 11. Franmil Reyes 12. Ian Kinsler 13. Eric Lauer 14. Matt Strahm 15. Dinelson Lamet 16. Garrett Richards 17. Jose Castillo 18. Craig Stammen 19. Anderson Espinoza 20. Robert Stock 21. Travis Jankowski 22. Trey Wingenter 23. Robbie Erlin 24. Miguel Diaz 25. Jacob Nix 26. Phil Maton 27. Brad Wieck 28. Greg Garcia 29. Austin Allen 30. Pedro Avila 31. Edward Olivares 32. Gerardo Reyes 33. Luis Perdomo 34. Bryan Mitchell 35. Jose Pirela 36. Brett Kennedy 37. Ty France 38. Javy Guerra 39. Luis Torrens

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---

Removed from the roster

• Carlos Asuaje (claimed by the Rangers)

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Padres are now chasing Manny Machado Kevin Acee

The Padres were not initially the “mystery team” in pursuit of free agent infielder Manny Machado.

But they qualify as such now.

According to multiple sources aware of talks between the sides but not authorized to speak publicly, the Padres are pursuing the 26-year-old superstar with the intention of playing him at third base.

The team has refined its focus to free agents (versus a trade) with the hope of filling the position before spring training.

The thinking is that whether that is Machado or perhaps Mike Moustakas or Marwin Gonzalez, something should fall into place soon.

If Machado signed elsewhere, that would seemingly crystallize the market for Moustakas and Gonzalez.

There have long been reports of a “mystery team” involved with Machado, and many had speculated it was the Padres.

However, while the team did its due diligence, they remained primarily on the sideline until recently. Several sources insisted over the course of the past few weeks that the Padres were not in on the four-time All-Star, the rare superstar player to be a free agent at such a young age.

The Padres became players in the pursuit of Machado a week ago when reports surfaced of a price that was far lower than the expected $30 million or more per year over eight or more years.

At the time, ESPN and USA Today said the White Sox’s offer to Machado was for seven years and $175 million. While the reports were soon dismissed as “inaccurate” by Machado’s agent, the possibility intrigued the Padres. That interest was reported by the Union-Tribune on Monday. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/padres/sd-sp-padres-free-agents-fowler-seidler-20190121-story.html

It was around that time that the Padres connected with Machado’s side, and they continue to talk.

There are believed to be at least two other serious suitors for Machado, with one source saying the Phillies should be considered the foremost team to watch.

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While Machado’s stated preference is to play shortstop, where he moved full-time in 2018 after playing mostly third base his first six seasons with the Orioles, the Padres are looking at him as a third baseman. Indications are Machado is open to moving back to third.

The Padres expect shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., the No.1 prospect in baseball, to be in the majors this season, if not on opening day then in short order.

The Padres did not anticipate going this route this offseason, as they believe their young team is a year away from contending.

They were considered a longshot to land free agent Eric Hosmer last year. They did so in part by structuring a deal in an unorthodox manner – with an average annual value of $21 million over the first five years and then, if Hosmer does not opt out of the contract after 2022, when he will be 33-years-old, $13 million a year from 2023-25.

A deal for Machado, who is almost three years younger than Hosmer, could be structured similarly.

The belief remains it will take closer to $30 million a year to get Machado, whose 142 home runs rank seventh in the majors over the past four seasons. However, the market is limited, and the Padres are believed to be legitimate suitors.

Playing for the Orioles and Dodgers in 2018, he hit .297/.367/.538 with 37 homers. His .905 OPS (on-base plus slugging) ranked 11th in the majors.

Machado has had a WAR (wins above replacement) of at least 5.9 in three of the past four seasons, according to STATS. The only other players to have done that are Nolan Arenado, Francisco Lindor and Mike Trout. (Trout and Arenado have done it all four seasons.)

Should the Padres not land Machado, they will likely seek a shorter-term solution.

Moustakas and Gonzalez, who will both be 30 by the start of the season, seem to be the leading options.

Moustakas, a teammate of Hosmer’s in Kansas City from 2011-17, has hit .251/.307/.431 over his eight-year career. He hit .251/.315/.459 with 28 home runs playing for the Royalsand Brewers last season.

Gonzalez has spent his seven-year career in Houston, where he was a .264/.318/.419 hitter. He hit .303/.377/.530 with 23 homers during the Astros’ championship season in 2017 and .247/.324/.409 with 16 homers in ’18.

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Padres returning to brown, gold color scheme starting in 2020 Jan 25, 2019

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Padres say they are switching to a brown and gold color scheme for 2020 and beyond. Wayne Partello, the team's chief marketing officer, says the Padres have notified Major League Baseball that they intend to make the change.

Partello said Friday that the team is still deciding on the exact look.

Fans have long clamored for a return to the distinctive brown color scheme used from the Padres' inception in 1969 into the 1980s. At one point, the team's color scheme was dubbed "mustard and mud."

The Padres have made several uniform changes over the years. Their current color scheme is blue and white.

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#PadresOnDeck: Record 10 Padres on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 List SS Fernando Tatis Jr. named №2 prospect

in baseball

FriarWire

Jan 27

By Justin Lafferty

The best farm system in baseball can lay claim to 1/10th of MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects.

MLB Pipeline announced its Top 100 Prospects list Saturday, with a record 10 players wearing Padres caps.

Here’s how MLB Pipeline ranked the Padres prospects:

2. Fernando Tatis Jr., SS 15. MacKenzie Gore, LHP 23. Luis Urías, 2B 26. Francisco Mejía, C 34. Chris Paddack, RHP 48. Luis Patiño, RHP 49. Adrian Morejon, LHP 72. Michel Baez, RHP 74. Logan Allen, LHP 93. Ryan Weathers, LHP

“That group represents a fairly even mix between the different levels of the Padres’ system,” wrote MLB.com Padres beat writer AJ Cassavell. “Five of those youngsters — Tatis, Urías, Mejía, Paddack and Allen — will be in big league camp competing for jobs. Both Urías and Mejía are favorites for the Opening Day roster at this point. Tatis, the presumed shortstop of the future in San Diego, is expected to arrive in the first half of the season. But the strength of the Padres’ system lies in its depth. And at the lower levels, that depth is heavily skewed toward pitching.”

Tatis Jr. was also identified as the best Padres prospect in the last 15 years. The Padres acquired him from the White Sox in 2016, in exchange for pitcher James Shields.

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Gore, the №3 overall pick in 2017, has earned rave reviews from MLB Pipeline senior writer Jim Callis, who called the 19-year-old southpaw his favorite prospect in this year’s class during the Top 100 Prospects reveal show Saturday night.

In terms of MLB Pipeline’s metric of “prospect points” — where the №1 prospect gets 100 points, the №2 prospect gets 99 points, and so forth — the Padres ranked top of the class by far, with 574. That mark is the highest ever recorded on any of MLB Pipeline’s list.

The Braves, who have eight prospects on the list, have 429 prospect points.

“This year’s Top 100 list is the first since 2015 to feature at least one player from all 30 teams,” MLB Pipeline’s Mike Rosenbaum wrote. “Some clubs are better represented than others, of course, though none can match the San Diego Padres’ Top 100 prospect power. The Padres are in elite company this year with an MLB Pipeline-record 10 Top 100 prospects. That number is up from seven in 2018, when they also garnered honors as MLB Pipeline’s top-ranked farm system, and only slightly less than the organization’s collective total (11) from 2015–17.”

MLB Pipeline has yet to release its 2019 rankings of top farm systems, but the Padres are heavy favorites to claim the top spot once again. Various publications have been high on San Diego’s prospects, with Baseball Americaand Baseball Prospectus each placing 9 Padres in their preseason rankings.

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#PadresOnDeck: Three Relievers Knocking on the Door — Wingenter, Wieck, Valdez FriarWire

Jan 25

By Bill Center

The leading elements of the Padres’ minor league development are the starting pitchers and the up-the-middle connection of middle infielders Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Urías and catcher Francisco Mejía.

But the deepest selection of prospects can be found in the minor league bullpens.

Twenty of the 93 prospects being reviewed over four months are relief pitchers. Today we continue with three more, who are also the three tallest relievers on the list  — 6-foot-7 Trey Wingenter, 6-foot-8 Dauris Valdez and 6-foot-9 Brad Wieck.

Two of the three — Wingenter and Wieck — have already pitched for the Padres. Two of the three — Wingenter and Valdez — are among the six relievers in the Padres system who topped 100 mph last season. We start with the reliever on both those lists:

— Trey Wingenter made 62 appearances this season between Triple-A El Paso and the Padres. The 235-pound right-hander made 22 appearances for the Padres after making his Major League debut on Aug. 22.

Wingenter, who will turn 25 on April 15, was the Padres’ 17th-round pick in the 2015 Draft out of Auburn University. All 162 of his professional appearances have been out of the bullpen.

The Alabama native opened the season with the Pacific Coast League Chihuahuas, working 44 1/3 innings in 40 appearances with a 3.86 earned run average and a 1.195 WHIP. He allowed 19 runs (17 earned) on 29 hits, 24 walks and 53 strikeouts — or 10 ¾ strikeouts per nine innings.

Most of Wingenter’s numbers improved with the Padres. He had a 3.79 ERA, a 1.263 WHIP and a .182 opponents’ batting average. He allowed eight runs on 13 hits and 11 walks with 27 strikeouts in 19 innings. As a Padre, Wingenter averaged 12 ¾ strikeouts per nine innings with a 2 ½-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio.

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— Brad Wieck advanced from Double-A San Antonio through El Paso to the Padres’ bullpen at the end of the season. The 255-pound, left-hander made his Major League debut on Sept. 14, a month before his 27th birthday.

In five appearances with the Padres, Wieck allowed one run on three hits withy no walks and 10 strikeouts. He made 44 appearances between Double-A and Triple-A with 27 of those coming in the Texas League.

Wieck was a combined 4–2 with 12 saves during the 2018 minor league season with a 2.53 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. He allowed 18 runs (13 earned) on 36 hits and 17 walks with 70 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings. That is an average of 13.6 strikeouts per nine innings and a 4.1-to-1 strikeouts-to-walk ratio.

— Dauris Valdez, a 23-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, played the entire 2018 season with Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore then made 10 appearances in the Arizona Fall League with the league champion Peoria Javelinas.

The 221-pound Valdez was 1–4 with 13 saves, a 4.39 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP in 48 appearances with the Storm. He pitched a total of 53 1/3 innings, allowing 32 runs (26 earned) on 46 hits and 29 walks with 76 strikeouts. That’s an average of 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings with a 2.6-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio.

In the AFL, Valdez allowed five runs on 10 hits and four walks with 15 strikeouts — a 4.50 ERA and 1.4 WHIP with an average of 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

While Wingenter and Wieck will again be vying for berths in the Padres bullpen, Valdez is likely headed for Double-A Amarillo.

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Top 50 Individual Seasons 44. Alan Wiggins ignited the 1984 Padres

FriarWire

Jan 25

By Bill Center

Sometimes you have to look past the numbers — traditional as well as the modern analytics — to gauge the value of a player’s contribution to a team.

As an example, I offer Alan Wiggins’ efforts on behalf of the National League champion 1984 Padres.

First, some numbers:

Wiggins hit .258 in 1984. The 26-year-old, switch-hitter had a .342 on-base percentage and a .329 slugging percentage for a .671 OPS. Nothing special there. He was thrown out almost 25 percent of the time he attempted to steal a base.

Nothing much there. In fact, Wiggins’ WAR in 1984 was 3.0. Again, nothing special.

But Wiggins played a special role in the Padres’ run to the National League championship.

“He stirred the pot,” Tony Gwynn said years later. “If he was on first, he was a threat to score. He was the spark, the ignitor. He got us going. If he got on base, there’d be this feeling in the dug out . . . ‘we’re in business.”

Wiggins really didn’t reach base a lot. Only 232 times, in fact, through hit, walk and hit-by-pitch. But his speed did force some errors. And when Wiggins did reach base, he was headed in only one direction — home.

Wiggins scored 106 runs in 1984 — meaning he scored once every 2.2 times he reached base. He stole 70 bases, which remains a single-season Padres’ record. His runs total is the eighth-highest single-season total in Padres history.

In 10 post-season games in 1984, the 6-foot-2, 160-pound Wiggins hit .341 with a .372 on-base percentage and a .738 OPS.

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The second baseman was the Padres’ lead-off hitter. And, yes, he benefitted from having the likes of Gwynn, Graig Nettles and Steve Garvey directly hitting behind him. But, as Gwynn said, Wiggins “stirred the pot.”

“Not only did he steal second, he went from first to third with the best of them,” recalled Gwynn.

Wiggins placed 16th in the National League Most Valuable Player voting.

Sadly, Wiggins’ stay with the Padres was very short and controversial.

A Los Angeles native, Wiggins was first drafted by the California Angeles in 1977 only to be released in June of 1978. He was signed by the Dodgers then acquired by the Padres in the 1980 Rule 5 draft.

Wiggins was an outfielder with the Padres in 1983 when hit .276 with a .360 on-base percentage, posting a 4.1 WAR.

But Wiggins career with the Padres was over 10 games into the 1985 season. He left the team under mysterious circumstances while they were in Los Angeles. He was traded to the Orioles on June 27, 1985, for a minor leaguer. Wiggins was out of baseball after the 1987 seasons and died in 1991 at the age 32.

___________________________________________________________________

Top 50 Individual Seasons:

44. 2B Alan Wiggins (1984)

45. RHP Andy Hawkins (1985)

46. INF-OF Bip Roberts (1990)

47. RHP Heath Bell (2010)

48. RHP Trevor Hoffman (1999)

49. RF Brian Giles (2005)

50. 2B Mark Loretta (2003)

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Top 50 Moments — Ozzie Smith Makes Greatest Play in Padres’ History FriarWire

Jan 25

By Bill Center

After winning 13 straight Gold Glove and being voted into the Hall of Fame as a first-ballot pick in 2002, legendary shortstop Ozzie Smith still calls a play he made as a rookie with the Padres the “greatest of my career.”

The date was April 20, 1978, and the Padres were hosting the Atlanta Braves at San Diego Stadium in the 10th game of Smith’s storied career.

At the time, Smith was not the “Wizard of Oz.” He was a 23-year-old, 5-foot-11, 150-pound rookie who was the Padres’ fourth round pick in the 1977 draft out of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. The most notable thing on his resume was that he was in the Major Leagues for Opening Day the season after being drafted.

But he became well-known throughout baseball after the play he made behind Randy Jones in the fourth inning on April 20.

The victim was Atlanta’s Jeff Burroughs, who hit a sharp grounder to the shortstop side of second base that appeared to easily be beyond Smith’s reach.

Burroughs thought it was a hit. So did Jones.

As Smith dived to his left, the ball hit a rock (or a divot) in the infield and took a wild hop above Smith’s head. With his glove fully extended along the ground while in mid-dive, Smith reached above his head with his bare hand, caught the ball, jumped to his feet and threw Burroughs out at first.

Smith thought the ball had hit a rock. But Padres groundskeepers didn’t find a rock. That part of the play remains a mystery.

“As I dived and the ball hit a rock, my glove was gone,” Smith recalled years later. “I just stuck up my bare-hand and the ball hit perfectly and stuck.

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“The play really didn’t hit me until the next morning when I got up and people were talking about it on the radio and calling it the greatest play that had ever seen.”

Padres fans weren’t alone. Film of the play made the weekly national highlight shows in the pre-ESPN era — although video is still available through Googling. When MLB.com did a feature on the “75 Most Spectacular Defensive Plays in Baseball History,” Smith’s 1978 play was №1.

Ozzie Smith finished second in the 1978 National League Rookie of the Year voting. He won his first two Gold Gloves as a Padre in 1980 and 1981 and earned the first of his 15 berths on the National League All-Star Team as a Padre in 1981.

In four seasons with the Padres, Smith hit .231 with a .295 on-base percentage and a .278 slugging percentage for a .573 OPS. But his defense was off the charts. He had a 5.1 WAR with the Padres in 1980.

On Dec. 10, 1981, the Padres traded Smith to the St. Louis Cardinals for another All-Star shortstop, Garry Templeton. Four other players were involved in the trade with the Padres also getting outfielder Sixto Lezcano.

Templeton became the Padres captain and helped San Diego win the National League pennant in 1984.

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50 Padres Moments (in chronological order):

1. National League votes to expand into Montreal and San Diego (May 27, 1968)

2. 2. Padres stocked with players in National League expansion draft (Oct. 14, 1968)

3. 3. Padres win their Major League debut (April 8, 1969)

4. 4. Clay Kirby removed from a no-hitter (July 21, 1970)

5. 5. Nate Colbert’s five-homer, 13-RBI doubleheader in Atlanta (Aug. 1, 1972)

6. 6.1973, the year San Diego nearly lost the Padres

7. 7. Ray Kroc buys the Padres (Jan. 25, 1974)

8. 8. Ray Kroc grabs the microphone during his first home game as the Padres owner (April 9, 1974)

9. 9. Randy Jones National League Cy Young Award (1976)

10. 10. Shortstop Ozzie Smith’s greatest defensive play in Padres’ history (April 20, 1978)

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2019 Position Rankings: Catcher By Kyle Glaser on January 28, 2019

The state of catching in the major leagues has rightly been bemoaned in recent years, with backstops averaging a putrid .232/.304/.372 slash line in 2018 and little in the way of new blood ready to come up and help in the short-term.

That should begin to change with a particularly talented catching crop making its way through the minors.

Seven catchers made Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list this season, which is the most since 2012. The depth of the position goes well beyond just the Top 100, with catchers of all different strengths having success at every level of the minors.

There is premium talent at the top—Keibert Ruiz is one of the top 20 prospects in baseball, Joey Bart was the No. 2 overall pick last year and Francisco Mejia delivered his third straight season with an OPS above .800. Danny Jansen, another Top 50 overall prospect, had a second straight stellar season and is in line to be the Blue Jays' primary catcher in 2019.

Add in a crop of tantalizing young catchers in the lower minors, headlined by Ronaldo Hernandez, William Contreras and Miguel Amaya, a group of offensively-potent backstops in the upper minors like Sean Murphy, Andrew Knizner and Austin Allen, and rare athletes like Daulton Varsho and Garrett Stubbs, and you have a deep, talented position group that can impact games in a variety of ways.

The group is ready to begin ascending in 2019. If it lives up to its potential, it could be the start of a turnaround in the production of big league catchers.

Rating: 4 out of 5 starts

1. Keibert Ruiz, Dodgers 2. Joey Bart, Giants 3. Francisco Mejia, Padres 4. Danny Jansen, Blue Jays 5. Ronaldo Hernandez, Rays 6. Sean Murphy, Athletics 7. Will Smith, Dodgers 8. Miguel Amaya, Cubs 9. Daulton Varsho, D-backs 10. William Contreras, Braves 11. Carson Kelly, D-backs 12. Andrew Knizner, Cardinals 13. Bo Naylor, Indians 14. Diego Cartaya, Dodgers 15. Jake Rogers, Astros 16. Anthony Seigler, Yankees 17. M.J. Melendez, Royals

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18. Garrett Stubbs, Astros 19. Zack Collins, White Sox 20. Jacob Nottingham, Brewers 21. Austin Allen, Padres 22. Ivan Herrera, Cardinals 23. Ryan Jeffers, Twins 24. Luis Campusano, Padres 25. Alejandro Kirk, Blue Jays 26. Will Banfield, Marlins 27. Cal Raleigh, Mariners 28. Francisco Alvarez, Mets 29. Tyler Stephenson, Reds 30. Eric Haase, Indians 31. Seby Zavala, White Sox 32. Tomas Nido, Mets 33. Meibrys Viloria, Royals 34. Jack Kruger, Angels 35. Connor Wong, Dodgers

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MLB Trade Rumors: Padres Interested in Arranging a Meeting With Manny Machado By EMILY CARON

January 26, 2019

With spring training rapidly approaching, two of the offseason's biggest names are still unsigned.

Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are expected to ink monster deals but both have yet to actu ally

agree to terms with a team. The two superstars aren't the only quality names still unsigned –

reliever Craig Kimbrel, who had 42 saves last season for the Boston Red Sox, is also on the

market.

The hot stove has quieted down as teams are wrapping up transactions before pitchers and

catchers report for training, but with Machado and Harper's landing spots still unknown, there's

guaranteed to still be chatter.

Here are all the latest transactions and rumors around baseball :

• The Padres are interested in arranging a meeting with Manny Machado. San Diego would like to

meet with Machado in person before "becoming more involved" with him. (Dennis Lin, The Athletic)

• Talks for Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto are "gaining momentum," with the Dodgers and Padres

believed to be most prominent suitors at the moment. The Reds, Braves and Astros are also

interested. (Jon Heyman, Fancred)

• The Marlins are asking that catcher Francisco Mejia is included in the Padres offer. (Jon

Morosi, MLB Network)

• The Padres have emerged as suitors for Manny Machado. San Diego began its pursuit of the

four-time All-Star last week. (Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune)

• The Athletics have signed free-agent RHP Marco Estrada to a one-year deal. (Jane

Lee, MLB.com)

• The Mets are in agreement with free-agent left-handed reliever Justin Wilson on a two-year, $10

million deal. (Jeff Passan, ESPN)

• Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos says team will be involved in the trade market. ( MLB Network Radio)

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Five reasons why the timing is perfect for the Padres to swoop in and sign Manny Machado The Padres are said to be interested in Machado and they need to make it happen

It's almost February and free-agent superstar Manny Machado remains unsigned. Within the last few weeks, word of a so-called mystery team being in on Machado started to circulate. Apparently my colleague Mike Axisa is the Machado Whisperer, because he called the Padres this mystery team and now multiple reports indicate the Padres are, in fact, in on Machado. This should really happen. Everything is just perfectly aligning for Machado to become the face of the Padres as they get back into contention after such a long drought. Here's how it all fits.

1. The market The expectations with a mega-free agent like Machado are that the big boys -- Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Dodgers, etc. -- would all be taking a look and the bidding was going to be something like 10 years and more than $300 million. Instead, the free-agent market these past two offseasons has essentially cratered, with teams treating the luxury tax like a salary cap. Those teams I listed above all appear to be out, with the Yankees maybe-possibly-but-probably-not lying in the weeds. We do know the Phillies are going hard after either Machado or Bryce Harper while the White Sox are also in, though they appear to be low-balling Machado and might be unwilling to go higher, in piecing together reports. Unless Harper re-signs with the Nationals and the Phillies throw a ton at Machado, this seems like a prime opportunity for a small-market team to pounce on Machado.

2. The NL West landscape As noted Thursday, the Dodgers are very good and are the deepest team in baseball. They are the obvious NL West favorite. The rest of the division is up in the air, however. SportsLine projects the Rockies to win 80 games, the Diamondbacks to take 78 -- and note that they'll be sellers in July if they aren't contending -- and the Giants 72. The Giants are going to have to rebuild, even if they try and do it quickly. The Diamondbacks are in the same ballpark. Nolan Arenado is a free agent after 2019 and instead of extending him, the Rockies are heading to arbitration with him -- where they'll be arguing for him to have a lower salary than he's asking. That doesn't seem great, right? As such, a surface-level observation: Second place in the NL West for the next few seasons is wide open. The NL Central and NL East are much stronger, which means there will be more in-division

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wins to be had in the West and a wild-card spot is very possible if a good second NL West team emerges.

3. The Padres prospects In the last few years, the Padres have been regarded as having one of the best farm systems in baseball and we're starting to see it come to fruition. We caught glimpses of infielder Luis Urias (.296/.398/.447 in Triple-A last year) and catcher Francisco Mejia (.293/.338/.471 in Triple-A last year) in the majors last season and 2019 will be their first full campaign in the majors. More help is coming very soon, too. That would be in the form of Fernando Tatis Jr., who is playing shortstop and hit .286/.355/.507 with 22 doubles, four triples, 16 homers, 43 RBI, 77 runs and 16 steals in 88 Double-A games last season. The youngster will be in Triple-A this season, but it's possible he's called upon and becomes a star pretty quickly. He's got all the tools. MLB.com has him as the second-best prospect in baseball behind another second-generation baseballer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. There's more, too, as MLB.com ranked seven Padres in the top 100 in baseball before last season (more on the prospects here, where I mention the Padres as a coming-soon breakout team).

4. The need for an established star The top of the Padres order right now looks like it might be Ian Kinsler or Urias. The middle of the order includes Eric Hosmer -- who is a clubhouse leader but most certainly not a star -- Wil Myers and Hunter Renfroe. Even if Tatis hits the ground running and is a star from the get-go, the Padres could sure use a veteran star. Think about the Cubs with Anthony Rizzo being there when Kris Bryant hit the bigs or the Astros with Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman joining Jose Altuve and George Springer. Hosmer and Myers simply aren't on the same level of an Altuve or Rizzo. Machado is. He's a game-changer right in the middle of his prime. He's averaged 34 doubles, 36 homers, 96 RBI, 94 runs, 11 steals with a 129 OPS+ the last four seasons. He's averaging 6 WAR in his five full seasons (2013, 2015-18). Machado would immediately give the Padres the franchise centerpiece they need in order to take things to the next level with this talented foundation. He also takes pressure off the likes of Urias, Mejia and especially Tatis.

5. The sell job Now, the Padres can't make Machado sign with them. They can make him an offer he can't refuse, however. It goes like this:

1. Everything I said above about how the Padres are a team on the rise, but also how he is The Man the second he sets foot in spring training. This is his team.

2. San Diego, baby. Sells itself. Who wouldn't want to live there?

3. Most importantly: Make the highest offer.

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On three, some might think the Padres can't do this. Maybe they won't be able to top a "let's get stupid" Phillies-type deal. Let's say the Phillies land Harper, though? The path is clear for the Padres to win Machado. The Padres ran a payroll of just over $94 million last season, per Cot's Contracts. The projected payroll right now is a touch over $80 million. They could fit a huge Machado contract either by backloading the deal or going something like $10 million more than they did last year with the player payroll. They have room to add future salary, too. Here are the Padres' salary commitments moving forward:

• 2020: $64.250M

• 2021: $44M

• 2022: $43.5M

• 2023: $14M There are arbitration cases and pre-arb salaries to consider, but they are more than fine to pay Machado given what he could provide the franchise. I'm not sure Machado alone being added to the current roster (SportsLine projects them for 67 wins, so Machado maybe bumps them to 73) makes the Padres a 2019 contender without lots of other stuff going really well, but by 2020, the Padres would be ready. Let's take a look at what the team might look like:

1. Luis Urias, 2B

2. Fernando Tatis, SS

3. Manny Machado, 3B

4. Eric Hosmer, 1B

5. Wil Myers, LF

6. Hunter Renfroe, RF

7. Francisco Mejia, C

8. Manuel Margot/Franchy Cordero, CF Veteran Ian Kinsler, backup catcher Austin Hedges and outfielder Franmil Reyesmean there's a quality bench. A returning from Tommy John surgery Garrett Richards heads up the rotation which also has upside with Joey Lucchesi, Jacob Nix, Chris Paddack and Logan Allen. Kirby Yates is a fine anchor to the bullpen. Lots of things have to break right, but there's enough talent there for 90-plus wins. It's also a foundation that could sustain success for several years of contention and that's the best way to try and win the World Series.

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They need a Machado-caliber player, though. He seems to be right there for the taking, Padres. Go get him.