The 5 Best Remaining Free Agents For The Padres

Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Introduction

Alright, by now, we all know that the San Diego Padres are 0-for-2 in their pursuit of impact free agent bats to improve their fledgling lineup. They went hard and heavy for Pablo Sandoval, and he chose to take less money to go to Boston. Yasmany Tomas, after being considered one of the favorites, seem to have let off the gas somewhat, making an impressive offer, but not nearly enough for Tomas’ or agent Jay Alou’s liking, and he landed in Arizona. 

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So what’s next for the Padres and GM A.J. Preller? Many believe their free agent pursuits are now over, and that the only way to get an impact bat or two in San Diego heading into 2015, is to trade from their vast wealth of pitching depth. I disagree, and believe that lower cost, mid-range free agent additions could still be made, and could still make this Padres’ team much better at the plate next season. Let’s take a quick peek at the five best remaining free agents that could fill needs for the Friars heading into next season.

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#4. Kendrys Morales, First Base

Let’s face it, Yonder Alonso is not the answer at the dish for the Friars. Nobody is going to come in and be Adrian Gonzalez, but a full season of Morales could prove beneficial. After he held out during spring training, waiting for a long-term, heavily loaded contract, he signed with the Minnesota Twins, played just under 40 games, hit for very little power, and was dealt BACK to the Seattle Mariners, the team who wouldn’t give him his desired deal to begin with.

To put it bluntly, Morales stunk up the joint. As with most players who miss spring training, it’s difficult to use the regular season to knock the rust off without struggling for extended periods of time. This presents a golden opportunity for the Padres, as they missed out on free agent first baseman Adam LaRoche, and still need a productive bat to displace Alonso. Prior to last season, Morales had back-to-back seasons of over 20 home runs and at least 73 runs batted in, while batting .273 or higher, and slugging .449 or higher. Now that is production the Padres have sorely lacked.

The 31-year-old first baseman has proven he can hit in a pitcher’s park, as Safeco Field presents many of the same obstacles as Petco Park does. He made just over $7 million last year, and coming into 2015, Morales wants to get paid, and prove that he is still a middle-of-the-order bat. A three-year, $25.5 million dollar deal locks in a productive bat, once again cheaper than Pablo Sandoval or Yasmany Tomas ever could’ve come to town for.

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#3. Mark Reynolds, Third Baseman

Personally, I’d like to see the Padres move current second baseman Jedd Gyorko back across the diamond to his original position, and give Corey Spangenberg a chance to play second base everyday. Many of you have claimed that Gyroko was moved to second ONLY because he was atrocious at third, but the reality of it is, Chase Headley was in his way. So, with the assumption that Gyorko remains at second, and that he bounces bat and continues to put up decent power numbers, the Padres will need a power-hitting third baseman.

Look no further than the career .229, 32 home run, 89 RBI 162-game average of Mr. Mark Reynolds. He filled in nicely in the Bronx in 2013 after being waived by Cleveland, and rather than return to the Bronx on a minor league deal, signed with Milwaukee, where the power numbers continued. He hit 22 home runs, drove in 45, and slugged .394 in over 400 plate appearances. The problem, is that for the second time in six seasons, Reynolds hit under .200, posting a .196 batting average, and striking out over 100 times. Hey, I didn’t say this guy was Tony Gwynn. Productive, cheap power bats are what the Padres need, and Reynolds fits the bill.

Reynolds is durable, having played more than 130 games seven times in his career, and just missing an eighth time between his time in Cleveland and his arrival in New York. The nice thing about Reynolds, is that he is also versatile, and plays a solid third base, along with having extensive time at first base as well. This gives the Padres an opportunity to shift Reynolds back and forth across the diamond, allowing Yangervis Solarte to spend some time at the hot corner. Big Mark is coming off of a one-year deal that paid him $2 million dollars. A two-year, $10 million dollar deal, adds yet another cheap, big time power bat to the Padres lineup.

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#2. Jed Lowrie, Shortstop

The Padres’ makeover continues with a new shortstop to replace the troubled Everth Cabrera. The hope by many, is that the team either DFAs or trades Cabrera this winter, which would open up an opportunity for A.J. Preller to upgrade the position with another versatile bat. Enter Jed Lowrie. Early on in his career, he battled the injury bug, but in each of the past two seasons while with Oakland, he’s played more than 135 games in each. Jed can play both second base and shortstop, and while he doesn’t have the wheels of a Cabrera, he won’t hurt you at the plate either.

Lowrie is a career .261 hitter who averages 14 home runs per season over his seven years in the bigs, but dipped terribly last year, hitting only .249, with 6 home runs but he did drive in 50. He also drew 51 walks, and Bud Black could plug him into the #2 hole in the Padres’ lineup, or in the lower third. What makes Lowrie so attractive is his versatility in the field, his professional bat at the plate, and his affordability. Lowrie just finished a contract that paid him $5.25 million last season. He is far from an elite free agent option, and that could play right into A.J. Preller’s hands. A three-year, $20 million dollar deal isn’t out of the question. At this point, the Padres have added some solid pieces, for a fraction of what Sandoval or Tomas would’ve cost, and the lineup is now deeper than it’s been in several seasons.

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#1. Nick Markakis, Corner Outfielder

The Padres makeover is now complete, as the final piece of the affordable free agent puzzle is Baltimore Orioles free agent outfielder, Nick Markakis. Earlier this winter, there were talks that the O’s had locked up Markakis to a new deal, but those reports were both premature and false. Markakis and the Orioles are no closer to a new deal than they were the day the team declined his $17.3 million dollar option, thus making the Gold Glove right fielder a free agent.

So where does Markakis fit with the Padres? Well, if the team can somehow find a taker for the Carlos Quentin (Kansas City Royals anyone?), that opens left field for Melky Cabrera, and gives Markakis right field all to himself. He has nice gap-to-gap power, averaging more than 20 doubles in each of his nine big leagues seasons, highlighted by four straight 40+ double seasons. He’s good for double-digit home runs, most likely in the 14-18 range, and will drive in 55-70 runs each season. Markakis is one of the elite right field defenders in all of baseball, and Petco Park fits his fielding skill set perfectly.

What would it take to snag this #1 ranked free agent outfielder? Perhaps a four-year, $54 million dollar deal, with added incentives for hitting targets reached, elevates the deal to $60 million dollars. The Padres are going to have to pay for his defense, along with his mid-range offense. Markakis will never carry a lineup on his own, but he is a vital piece that connects the entire lineup. He is another guy that can hit anywhere from second to sixth, and will extend at-bats, and pass the baton to the next hitter in the lineup, never trying to do too much.

New Padres’ GM A.J. Preller. Mandatory Credit-utsandiego.com

Conclusion/Summary

There you have it. Five players, fifteen total years, $145.5 million dollars. Rather than overspending on an overweight third baseman who only becomes elite in October, or an unproven, big bodied outfielder who could prove to be nothing more than a first baseman or designated hitter, it’s about working smarter, not harder.

Ownership has told A.J. Preller he can spend to make the team better. Each of these options makes the Padres better at several spots on their roster. Pair it all up with their already stellar starting pitching and bullpen, the summer of 2015 could be something to remember, for more than how many times the team will have been shut out!

#InPrellerWeTrust