San Diego Padres news and rumors: Shohei Ohtani, Jose Iglesias

Here is the latest batch of San Diego Padres news and rumors, including a potential seismic shift involving the franchise's pursuit of Shohei Ohtani. Additionally, the Padres add another All-Star shortstop to the mix.

San Diego Padres rumors: Swapping Shohei Ohtani for Juan Soto?

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, there could be a scenario next season where the Padres could land two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani by using the money that could have been spent on a potential Juan Soto extension.

In this article, Nightengale wrote, "The Padres plan to be in heavy pursuit for free agent Shohei Ohtani, and if they land him, Soto could be the one traded, realizing they likely wouldn’t be able to meet his contract demands after already rejecting $440 million from the Nationals."

Soto has yet to live to expectations since being acquired in a trade last season with the Washington Nationals, so his future with the franchise is certainly cloudy. However, with the Padres willing to spend money to extend its core players, acquiring Ohtani through free agency (or even a shocking trade at this year's MLB trade deadline, should the Angels fall out of contention) will cost San Diego even more money. But with the Padres in win now mode, a pursuit of Ohtani shouldn't be a surprise, but rather expected.

San Diego Padres news: Jose Iglesias signed to minor-league deal

Even though the Padres have a wealth of talent and All-Star experience at shortstop, San Diego has reportedly signed another All-Star shortstop to a minor league deal.

Iglesias signed with the Miami Marlins late in spring training but opted out of his minor league deal on April 20. He's now reportedly landed with the Padres organization, one season after San Diego fans saw plenty of him during his time with the Colorado Rockies. He slashed .292/.328/.380 as Colorado's primary shortstop last season, filling the void in Denver between the Trevor Story and Ezequiel Tovar eras.

San Diego already has Xander Bogaerts, Ha-Seong Kim, and even Fernando Tatis Jr. who could play shortstop for the team, so it's unclear what role if any the 33-year-old Iglesias might play with the team. However, the depth at a key position is always welcome for any team, including the Padres.