Padres can’t mistake Ty France’s desire to stay for a hometown discount

Ty France has already given the Padres their hometown discount. They got it when he arrived in February. The reigning Gold Glove winner returned to San Diego on a minor-league deal that turned into a roster spot guaranteeing him $1.35 million. He then turned that modest investment into one of the best seasons of his career.

France entered Saturday slashing .301/.366/.521 with a career-high 21 home runs. His latest was a three-run shot in Friday’s 8-2 victory over Miami, helping the Padres pull even with the Cubs and Phillies in the NL Wild Card race. He has gone from non-roster invitee to a middle-of-the-order fixture for a team trying to reach the postseason.

If the Padres want to retain him, it will cost more than $1.35 million the next time around. France has made his preference clear. As Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported, the Padres have known since last offseason how strongly France wants to remain in San Diego. His side is open to a conversation. But that’s just an invitation to negotiate. It’s not permission to underpay him.

France played at San Diego State and the Padres selected him in the 34th round. He made his major-league debut here, left in a trade and eventually returned as a far more accomplished player. He knows the organization, the city and plenty of people inside that clubhouse. That makes it understandable why he’d want to stay.

Padres should offer Ty France security without buying a perfect repeat

He’s also 32, and has never signed a multiyear major-league contract. This could be his best — and perhaps only — opportunity to turn a career season into long-term security. We shouldn’t expect him to leave millions of dollars on the table because the story plays better if the local kid stays local. The Padres already received their surplus value and France owes them nothing more at this point.

He has also built a stronger free-agent case than his traditional numbers alone suggest. He’s posted an +8 Outs Above Average and a +10 fielding run value this season. His average exit velocity has jumped to a career-best 92 mph, while his 48.4 percent hard-hit rate is also the highest of his career.

There is some risk in buying this season at full retail. France’s .437 expected slugging percentage trails his actual .521 mark, and nobody should automatically pencil him in for another .300 average or 20-plus home runs next season.

A short multiyear agreement with an option would make sense for both sides. France would finally receive the security he’s earned. The Padres would retain an elite defensive first baseman without guaranteeing money deep into his late 30s. 

Remember how crowded first base appeared during spring training. Gavin Sheets, Miguel Andujar and Nick Castellanos were all supposed to factor into the equation. France looked like a defensive replacement fighting for the final bench spot. But he made the competition irrelevant. Assuming the Padres can simply find the next Ty France would be arrogant. It’s rare for bargain signings to work out like this one. 

This decision also represents an early test for the Padres’ new ownership group. Kwanza Jones and José E. Feliciano repeatedly described themselves as “all in” during their introductory news conference. That commitment will eventually be judged through decisions far less glamorous than chasing the biggest free agent on the market. Keeping a valuable player once he is no longer cheap qualifies.

France wants to stay. The Padres should want him back. That overlap gives San Diego an opportunity to reach an agreement before the rest of the market gets involved. 

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