This offseason wasn't quite like last year's for the San Diego Padres. General manager A.J. Preller is reconfiguring in the wake of another lackluster campaign, but rumors indicate he's still paying attention to the market surrounding the best remaining free agent in the MLB: Yoenis Cespedes.
San Diego has big shoes to fill in left field since Justin Upton departed in free agency and reportedly signed a six-year, $132.75 million contract with the Detroit Tigers, making him the third-highest paid position player out of this year's class of free agents.
While it's likely Cespedes is seeking a long-term deal, there have been rumors suggesting teams are hesitant to make him such an offer due to concerns regarding his motivation. The Pads spent most of the offseason reducing their payroll and probably wouldn't be in on Cespedes if he's looking for a long-term lucrative contract, but this is an interesting twist regardless of how unlikely a scenario this is.
"According to a source, the Padres are monitoring the market for Cespedes, though the source also indicated a match is unlikely at the moment," writes Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
"It seems noteworthy that the Padres have at least considered the possibility, however faint. Left field remains a major question mark; the primary in-house options are center fielder Jon Jay (29 home runs over six seasons), prospect Alex Dickerson (eight career at-bats) and Rule 5 pickup Jabari Blash (no big-league experience)."
San Diego had a franchise-record $108 million payroll last year, but Preller reduced that number this offseason, which is expected to hit $99 million on Opening Day (once all salaries are determined). The Pads clearly aren't a contender in the stacked NL West - a division that could have two teams in the postseason next year - but the fact that they're monitoring Cespedes might mean Preller has more tricks up his sleeve.
Even if Cespedes were to settle for a short-term or one-year deal, it's a foregone conclusion he wouldn't do so with San Diego. The whole point of signing that type of contract is to join a favorable situation in order to increase one's value the following offseason. The Pads do not offer an attractive destination (aside from the weather) compared to the New York Mets, Houston Astros, Washington Nationals, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, and others who have been linked to Cespedes in rumors.
But then again, it's interesting to ponder if the Padres would consider making a long-term offer to the 30-year-old while they have the opportunity to capitalize on what seems to be a down market. What if they're the only club that steps forward with such a deal? Wouldn't that be something?
Preller is known to be creative and maybe he can work something out to maintain financial flexibility in subsequent seasons. Or he can sign Cespedes and use him as trade bait before the non-waiver deadline in the event he performs well on both sides of the ball.
Neither scenario is likely, but it's sure cool to think about during this offseason of unpredictability.
