Sign the Padres’ offer Trea Turner — which reportedly included a larger offer than he accepted in Philadelphia, even after accounting for higher California income taxes — caught many fans and pundits off guard. The Padres already have it Fernando Tatis Jr., Ha Seong Kim, Manny Machado and Jake Cronenworth as infield options, and San Diego also have two $300 million players on the roster in Machado and Tatis (although the former could drop out after the 2023 season).
There has been speculation (included here) as to whether AJ Preller, president of the Padres’ baseball operations, will turn around and examine the remaining All-Star shortstops in free agency, but Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports, that Turner was seen as a special case and that the Padres were solely interested in him rather than adding another shortstop to the mix. As such, it’s unlikely the brothers will pursue any of this Carlo Correa, Xander Bogaerts or Dansby Swanson after being spurned by Turner. The Athletic’s Dennis Lin writes that the Padres checked in at Bogaerts this offseason, but Lin adds that Turner was the team’s “clear” preference. MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell adds that the Padres have not discussed a position change with Kim or Cronenworth at the time.
Preller acknowledged the team’s interest in Turner and disappointment at not landing him while speaking to Acee and others on the Beat in San Diego Monday night. Part of Turner’s appeal, as Preller explained, was his athleticism and experience in positions other than shortstop, which the brothers believed could create more flexible lineup options.
Even if the Padres are out of the mix (or on the periphery at best) for the remaining shortstops, the strong offer for Turner is still notable. It underscores that even with a star-studded roster and a payroll that many expected would reach its maximum, Padres is poised to spend at a level commensurate with the sport’s greatest financial powerhouses. The Padres paid the luxury tax in 2022, have a projected payroll of $210 million in 2023, and are projected to have $230 million in luxury tax obligations per roster resource, but were apparently still satisfied with Turner’s over $300 million offer – Dollars to submit.
That doesn’t necessarily mean San Diego will flip and dive headfirst into the bid Aaron Richter, but it also at least opens the door for speculation about such top-of-the-market activity. Preller spoke of a corner bat and a starting pitcher as top needs. Acee suggests that San Diego has been looking for reunions Josh Bell and Brandon Drury in addition to those not recently advertised Dominik Schmidtwhich illustrates the tremendous breadth of possibilities the team with Turner is now considering in Philadelphia.