The San Diego Padres wrapped up a busy stretch Monday by signing Ty France and two-time All-Star Walker Buehler to minor league contracts.
It caps what’s been an aggressive week for GM A.J. Preller after a quiet start to the offseason. The Padres lost some key pieces early on – Dylan Cease left for Toronto in free agency and Luis Arraez headed to the Giants. They did bring back Michael King on a three-year deal and signed KBO infielder Sung-Mun Song to a four-year contract.
But that’s when things picked up.
San Diego grabbed Miguel Andujar on a one-year deal, then scooped up Nick Castellanos after Philadelphia released him. Preller kept rolling by bringing in longtime NL West rival German Marquez from Colorado and Griffin Canning, who most recently pitched for the Mets.
Now with France and Buehler, the Padres are building quite a collection of veteran talent in their minor league system. They’ve already got starters Marco Gonzales and Triston McKenzie down there, plus former big leaguers Jose Miranda and Pablo Reyes on the Triple-A roster.
That’s a lot of experience for first-year manager Craig Stammen to work with if injuries hit or performance dips during the season.
Look, these aren’t headline-grabbing signings, but Preller’s doing smart business here. He’s stockpiling proven talent at bargain prices – exactly the kind of depth moves that can make or break a season.
With Spring Training games starting soon, it’ll be interesting to watch how these veterans compete for roster spots. Each one’s trying to prove they’ve still got something left in the tank for 2025.
