Minor league additions could pay huge dividends
San Diego Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller was reportedly involved in trade talks with several teams, but to this point in the offseason nothing has come to fruition. Preller, instead, looked to the free agent market to make his most significant moves by re-signing starter Michael King and reportedly agreeing to a deal with KBO superstar infielder Sung-Mun Song. A press conference was held by the organization Friday to re-introduce King to Padres fans, but the Song signing has no yet been announced by the team.
Preller and the Padres have continued to add to their minor league depth with additions of Triston McKenzie and Jose Miranda, among others. McKenzie is an intriguing addition as he is still relatively young, has major league experience, and was signed to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. McKenzie worked with pitching coach Ruben Niebla in as members of the Cleveland Guardians organization, so the hope is that Niebla can make McKenzie a serviceable back end of the rotation arm.
Baseball News:
- Japanese free agent slugger Munetaka Murakami is running out of time to select his MLB home and the lengthy process has allowed other teams to vie for his services. The Chicago White Sox are the latest team to be linked to Murakami and they join teams like the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets, among others who have expressed interest in the slugger.
- A new suitor has also emerged in the chase to add free agent third baseman Alex Bregman to its roster. The Toronto Blue Jays have already made headlines this winter and are reportedly considering another big signing with Bregman.
- The Yankees agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal with pitcher Paul Blackburn.
Category: General Sports
