MLB Rumors: San Diego Padres Still In Market For Two More Free Agents

The San Diego Padres made a huge splash at the Winter Meetings with their out-of-the-blue 11-year, $280M signing of All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts. But they're not done yet addressing needs for the 2023 season. 

In particular, according to MLB Insider Jon Heyman, they're looking for "a starting pitcher and a corner bat". In the last few months, the Padres have lost the likes of Mike Clevinger, Sean Manaea and MacKenzie Gore from their starting rotation (the first two to free agency and the latter as part of the Juan Soto package). 

That leaves Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, Blake Snell and the re-signed Nick Martinez as starters heading into the season. And two of them, Darvish and Snell, will be free agents at the end of 2023. 

The Padres have already met with Japanese star free agent Kodai Senga. Darvish was his mentor back in Japan, so they might even have an "in". There are other names, including of course Carlos Rodon at the top of the market, or the somewhat more reasonably priced Chris Bassitt or Nate Eovaldi.

For a corner and/or DH bat, Justin Turner has emerged as a possibility (according to David Schoenfeld of ESPN), along with other later-30s type names like J.D. Martinez and Michael Brantley. 

Bottom line, ever assume that AJ Preller and the San Diego Padres are done making moves. 

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