MLB Rumors: 4 under-the-radar free agents linked to the San Diego Padres

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There is no doubt that when the San Diego Padres are in Arizona for spring training in February, it is going to be a different-looking roster. Some contributors from the frustrating 2023 season will be gone and there will be new additions. Just how much of a roster turnover there is remains to be seen.

Is Juan Soto going to be in Arizona for the Friars? Who will be the additions to the starting rotation with the possibility of Blake Snell and Michael Wacha gone and closer Josh Hader also leaving Southern California?

There are going to be some additions and here are some rumored players that have been linked to San Diego early this offseason by MLB Trade Rumors.

Jung Hoo Lee

Things didn’t go too well for GM A.J. Preller last offseason in terms of adding some bats to the lineup. Free agents Matt Carpenter and Nelson Cruz didn’t work out well and by early July, the Padres DFA’d Cruz.

Hoo Lee is a promising left-handed bat and outfielder from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) where he slashed .349/.421/.575 with 23 home runs in 2022, before taking a step back this past season as he dealt with injuries.

His primary position is centerfield and the Padres return Trent Grisham next season with Fernando Tatis, Jr. in right and Juan Soto (assuming he’s not traded) in left, the outfield could be considered set. A left-handed bat, however, at the DH spot is needed and Hoo Lee cloud fill that void and then be used from time to time in the outfield.

Yariel Rodriguez

Questions are going to surround the Padres bullpen this offseason, especially with the possibility of Hader leaving town. Arms are going to be at a premium this winter and Rodriguez is a name to keep an eye on.

In October, he was granted his release from the Chunichi Dragons in Japan and will there be no posting fee for signing him. He has not pitched since the World Baseball Classic (WBC) last March and he last pitched professionally when he worked out of the bullpen in 2022. He returned to the Dominican Republic following the WBC. His numbers are good and an underrated free-agent arm that could solidify the Friars' bullpen.

Nick Martinez

Last season Martinez pitched well out of the bullpen for the Padres and also pitched well in nine starts. He was 6-4 with a 3.43 ERA with 106 strikeouts in 110.1 innings pitched. San Diego declined his two-year, $32 million option and he declined their offer of two years for $16 million, but you get the sense that the Padres would like to get something done and will not close the door on his return.

A spot in the rotation could very well be up for grabs depending on what Preller does and Martinez could solidify the middle to end of the rotation as a veteran arm, something that San Diego is going to need.

Jakob Junis

Another bullpen arm linked to the Padres is Junis, who pitched well for the San Francisco Giants in relief last season. In 40 games, the right-hander went 4-3 with a 3.87 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 89 innings pitched. He had four spot starts for the Giants and made one against the Padres in August and struck out three in four hitless and scoreless innings.

He is not projected to be an expensive addition, which is big for an organization that could be cost-cutting for 2024. A two-year deal for $15 million is projected and that would be a good deal for Preller and the Friars.

One thing is clear this offseason in San Diego, the Padres need to catch up to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks, who are coming off a very surprising World Series appearance. The Dodgers are the favorites to land Shohei Ohtani in free agency and steal him away from the Los Angeles Angels. If that happens, that puts them further ahead of the Friars.

Rumors are going to continue to swirl as the winter goes along, but any of these four players linked to the Padres would be good additions. This is a big offseason for San Diego as they look to quickly turn around and contend in 2024.

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Jung Hoo Lee

Yariel Rodriguez

Nick Martinez

Jakob Junis

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