The San Diego Padres will get some much-needed pitching depth back in the fold. Yu Darvish, who was out with a neck injury, will be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Tuesday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds. Darvish missed time after difficult starts against the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s ready to go after he checked out fine while throwing a bullpen session last Wednesday. Before his brief absence, the right-hander posted a 4.18 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 22 punchouts over 23 2/3 innings. It’s his fourth season overall with the club. The Padres recalled right-hand ..read more

The San Diego Padres have a roster of what seems like a thousand shortstops playing out of position. Well, perhaps unsurprisingly, the team will fill its center field vacancy with a top shortstop prospect. Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the Padres are expected to name Jackson Merrill as the starting center field on Opening Day. .@jonmorosi says MLB’s No. 12 prospect Jackson Merrill has won the Padres’ Opening Day center field job. pic.twitter.com/RV8bvDPyYp — MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 18, 2024 The risky yet aggressive move stems from San Diego losing outfield depth this winter ..read more

Dylan Cease‘s time in Chicago is over. The San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox finalized a trade for Dylan Cease. The right-hander has been in the trade rumor discussion throughout the offseason. Once the deal is complete, it will end a chapter of baseball’s top storylines of the offseason. General manager Chris Getz made clear that he was willing to consider offers on virtually everyone on the roster, making the 28-year-old the top name on the trade board. TRADE DETAILS Padres receive: RHP Dylan Cease White Sox receive: RHP Drew Thorpe, OF Samuel Zavala, RHP Jairo Iriarte, RHP Steven ..read more

The San Diego Padres signed Japanese lefty Yuki Matsui to a five-year deal this winter to anchor its bullpen. However, manager Mike Shildt provided reporters with a potentially alarming update regarding Matsui’s Opening Day status. Matsui reported back discomfort in late February and stopped throwing for about a week after an MRI revealed inflammation. He returned to the mound on Tuesday to throw a 30-pitch bullpen session at non-max effort. Shildt told reporters that Matsui felt well after the session, but was also noncommittal about whether he would be available on Opening Day. Mike Shildt ..read more

The San Diego Padres lost a lot of talent this winter and did not have the resources to make quality replacements. One way to try filling many holes inexpensively is by acquiring versatile players. That’s exactly what they did on Tuesday, as reports indicate that the Padres will sign Brad Miller to a minor league deal. AJ Cassavell of MLB.com broke the news. Some news: The Padres have signed longtime infielder Brad Miller to a Minor League deal with an invite to big league camp. A lefty hitter, he’s expected to vie for a bench spot. — AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) March 5, 2024 San Diego Padr ..read more

Believe it or not, the Major League Baseball regular season kicks off later this month. While many players still linger on the free agent market, the slow offseason produced many trades that evaluators have spent weeks analyzing. However, transactions can’t be rightfully graded until seasons play out. Roster construction lacks an exact science, which means guarantees do not exist. Moves that initially seem great often turn out disastrous. Moves that fly under the radar often prove crucial to a team’s success. With the true evaluation period kicking off in just a few weeks, let’s look back at ..read more

The Houston Astros closed a massive gap in their bullpen today. Former San Diego Padre relief pitcher Josh Hader’s signing helps quell a loud, silent off-season. The Astros suffered an off-season that caused some upheaval that needs to be addressed. Hader signed a five-year, $95M deal to come to the Astros, a move that might have ramifications during the next off-season. A Depleted Bullpen The Astros started the off-season deficient with the departures of free-agent bullpen hurlers Héctor Neris, Phil Maton, and Ryne Stanek. Then, with reliever Kendall Graveman’s injury departure, the Ast ..read more

The San Diego Padres’ asking price for Juan Soto has been released to the media, and it is more destructive than productive. The Padres are asking the New York Yankees not only for seven players in the deal, but to take on Trent Grisham also. Brian Cashman has outright refused to continue the conversations with AJ Preller, as these demands are completely out of bounds. No organization is going to surrender seven players, most of whom are major league-ready talent and elite pitching prospects, as Soto is also a free agent following the 2024 season. The Padres’ Asking Price for Soto The Padres ..read more

The New York Mets must use money as the primary capital to improve the team this winter. The farm system is not ready to consistently support the major league squad. So, having the league’s richest owner allows the team to fill holes with financial capital. While that typically plays out in free agency, Steve Cohen would be wise to take on contracts from teams with limited financial flexibility. Specifically, Steve Cohen should bail out the San Diego Padres to build the 2024 Mets. In early November, The Athletic reported that San Diego took out a $50 million loan in September. Per Evan Drelli ..read more

The 2023 Cy Young Award winners have been announced; for the NL, it is Blake Snell, and for the AL, it is Gerrit Cole. Snell became the 7th pitcher to win a Cy Young in both the AL and NL. Snell wins his second Cy Young, pleading his case about why he should receive the big bucks. After leading MLB in ERA, Snell can reflect on an incredible season with his head held high with this significant achievement. Cole lived up to being the ace of the New York Yankees, leading the AL in many categories. He led the league in ERA, IP, and WHIP to earn his first-ever Cy Young. Cole has been a contender f ..read more