San Diego Padres

San Diego Padres infielder Luis Arráez was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list Monday after a brutal collision in Sunday's game against the Houston Astros.

Following a bunt, the 28-year-old collided with Houston's Mauricio Dubon at first base and left the field on a stretcher.

The Padres later announced Arráez was transported to Houston Methodist Hospital for further evaluation and was stable, conscious, responsive and able to move his extremities.

According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Arráez rejoined his teammates in the clubhouse later that night. While it was possible for him to stay with the club for the next road trip to face the Detroit Tigers, he will instead spend time on the IL.

Entering Sunday's action, Arráez recorded three home runs and three doubles to go along with nine RBI. He's also picked up two stolen bases while posting a .287/.330/.425 slash line.

He has earned batting titles as well as All-Star honors in each of the past three years, hitting .328 over that span. He became the first player in MLB history to win three consecutive batting titles with three different teams.

The Padres acquired Arráez in a May 2024 trade with the Miami Marlins, settling at $14 million to avoid arbitration with San Diego ahead of the 2025 season.

If he's forced to miss an extended period of time, it will be a tough blow to a Padres team that has thrived to open the year. San Diego sits at 15-6 through 21 games, representing the best record in the National League.

Following his exit from Sunday's game, Arráez was replaced by Gavin Sheets.

Jackson Merrill could be sticking around in San Diego for another decade.

The Padres and Merrill have agreed to a nine-year, $135 million extension worth a maximum of $204 million, per FanSided's Robert Murray.

The deal includes a $30 million club option for a 10th season that can convert to a player option, Murray noted.

Merrill finished the 2024 season as runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year after leading MLB rookies with a .292 batting average, 61 extra-base hits and 90 RBI.

He has looked just as effective during the early stages of his second MLB campaign. He's hitting .400 through six games as the Padres' starting center fielder.

His new contract was finalized the day after he hit his first home run of the season during the Padres' 7-0 home win over the Cleveland Guardians.

The Padres discussed an extension with Merrill before his first MLB start last offseason, but "the two sides did not come to an agreement," per The Athletic's Dennis Lin.

More recently, Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller told Lin that the Padres had held conversations with Merrill "at different moments over the last few years, even dating back to when he was in the minor leagues."

"We were just like, ‘Was there a creative way to do something before he broke into the big leagues? And even last year, when he was breaking into the big leagues?’ Ultimately, we never got to anything concrete," Preller told Lin.

That persistence apparently paid off. The Padres have now locked Merrill up before he could further raise his negotiating price with another potential All-Star and Silver Slugger Award-winning season.

The extension could be seen as an indication of a larger change in how the Padres handle their star players. The franchise is now a year-and-a-half removed from trading Juan Soto to the New York Yankees ahead of the final season of his contract.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale previously reported that the Padres were negotiating an extension for Soto before the death of former owner Peter Seidler in November 2023. The club ultimately traded Soto amid the beginning of a high-profile legal dispute over ownership of the franchise.

Signing Merrill early in his career is a promising sign that the Padres are preparing to end a pattern of trading stars or allowing them to walk in free agency rather than keeping them in San Diego.

The San Diego Padres are betting on the good vibes and vocal stylings of Jose Iglesias to help them get back to the postseason in 2025.

Per Robert Murray of FanSided, the Padres have agreed to terms on a contract for the veteran infielder.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post added Iglesias will earn $3 million if he makes the Padres' roster and an additional $1 million in incentives.

Iglesias is coming off the best season of his career with the New York Mets in 2024. He opened the year in Triple-A before getting called up on May 31.

In 85 games, Iglesias hit .337/.381/.448 with four homers. He was also a solid defender at second base, finishing tied for eighth at the position in defensive runs saved with a minimum of 400 innings.

Beyond his performance on the field, Iglesias also provided the Mets with their anthem for the season when his single "OMG" was released in June. Their turnaround started just before the song released, but they went 50-34 after it dropped on June 28.

New York made the playoffs as a wild-card team and carried the positive momentum all the way to the NLCS before running into the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Mets even included "OMG" in their 2024 regular-season wrap-up video released on Oct. 1.

San Diego has some familiarity with what Iglesias brings to the table. The 35-year-old spent time with the Padres as a minor leaguer in 2023, appearing in 28 games with their Triple-A affiliate in El Paso.

Iglesias does offer the Padres with more versatility off the bench if the makes the opening day roster. Connor Joe, Eguy Rosario and Tyler Wade are currently the frontrunners to be their options off the bench going into the season.

Even if Iglesias wounds up not making the Padres' roster coming out of camp, getting into spring games with a club allows him to showcase his ability to other teams that could be in the market for a veteran infielder with a history of strong defensive performance.

The San Diego Padres could be sticking with Michael King regardless of whether they sign free-agent starter Nick Pivetta.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, King "is far less likely to be dealt" than fellow right-hander Dylan Cease.

The Padres have also "listened to offers" for closer Robert Suárez, according to Passan. Suárez is under contract for $10 million next season but could opt out of his deal ahead of the 2026 season.

Passan noted that relief pitcher Jason Adam, whom the Padres acquired at the trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays last season, could take on a closing role if Suarez is moved.

Cease is similarly at risk of hitting the market next offseason after inking a one-year, $13.75 million deal to avoid arbitration with the Padres in January.

King avoided arbitration last month by signing a one-year deal with $7.75 million guaranteed and a mutual option for 2026.

Despite previous reports that the Padres were shopping King's contract, the flexibility of that deal potentially makes him a better fit on the payroll. The Padres are looking to spend more than last season while still cutting payroll this winter, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Brought to San Diego as part of the trade for Juan Soto ahead of the 2024 season, King transitioned into a full-time starting role last season with the Padres.

He finished the season with a 2.95 ERA in 173.2 innings pitched, and the Padres turned to him twice in their seven-game postseason run before an NLDS elimination by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cease, who is now three years removed from the 2022 campaign with the Chicago White Sox that made him runner-up to Justin Verlander for the AL Cy Young Award, finished the 2024 season with a 3.47 ERA in 189.1 innings and one of the heaviest workloads in MLB.

Even though he's on an expiring contract, his talent should make him an attractive trade option for teams in need of a short-term rotation boost. The Baltimore Orioles and Minnesota Twins are among the teams interested, per MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and The Athletic's Dan Hayes and Dennis Lin.

The Padres could pursue Pivetta, although signing him will give the Boston Red Sox a compensatory draft pick after he declined their one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer last fall. The Pads might have an easier time fitting the raise Pivetta is seeking into the payroll if they're able to move out some salary, such as Cease's contract, this winter.

Manny Machado admitted Saturday he is "disappointed" the San Diego Padres haven't made any significant moves after losing players like Ha-Seong Kim and Tanner Scott to free agency this offseason.

"Are we disappointed we haven't made any moves? Yeah," Machado said (h/t Marty Caswell.) "I think as a team, you look up there, and you're a little disappointed that we let some of the guys that were a core group here go elsewhere."

The Padres were reportedly a frontrunner to sign star Japanese free agent Rōki Sasaki this offseason. Like Scott, Sasaki ultimately decided to sign with the divisional rival Los Angeles Dodgers.

Kim left to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Padres lost another part of the 2024 team when Jurickson Profar left to join the Atlanta Braves.

Part of the reason the Padres have suffered so much roster turnover this offseason may be the highly-publicized legal dispute over the team's ownership.

Player agent Scott Boras told USA Today's Bob Nightengale in October he believed the death of late Padres owner Peter Seidler in 2023 contributed to the franchise's decision to trade Juan Soto. Seidler's passing also led to an ongoing legal dispute regarding ownership of the team.

Profar cited the Padres' "issue with the ownership" when talking about his decision to sign in Tampa, per Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Sasaki's agent meanwhile mentioned the dispute when discussing Sasaki's signing with the Dodgers, per The Athletic's Dennis Lin.

The Padres were one win away from eliminating the Dodgers and advancing to the NLCS when the team claimed a 6-5 win in Game 3 of the 2024 division series.

San Diego failed to score a run in Game 4 or in Game 5, during which the Dodgers came back to continue advancing toward an eventual World Series win.

The Padres' path to getting another chance to eliminate the Dodgers has gotten steeper this season, not just because of the quiet season in San Diego but because of the Dodgers brought not only Sasaki but Scott and Blake Snell into their pitching lineup.

Combined the pending pitching return of Shohei Ohtani, those offseason moves made the Dodgers the team to beat in the NL West. The Padres could consider turning to the trade market in an effort to raise Machado's confidence his team can contend with the defending World Series champions next fall.

The San Diego Padres and New York Mets have reportedly discussed a trade involving starting pitcher Dylan Cease.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Mets have "been trying" to acquire Cease from the Padres. The Chicago Cubs are also involved, but there's a belief that San Diego "may prefer" New York's trade package instead (via Heyman).

Cease and the Padres avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $13.75 million contract for the 2025 season on Jan. 9.

It marked the 29-year-old's final arbitration-eligible year, meaning that he's now set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025 season.

Cease has seemingly been on the trade market throughout the offseason, with MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reporting that he was among the starting pitchers "potentially available" for trade on Dec. 9.

The Mets and Cubs aren't the only teams vying for Cease, though. Jon Morosi of MLB Network previously reported that the Boston Red Sox were also interested in the right-hander.

Heyman noted on Thursday that the Padres might be enticed by New York's prospect list, which includes pitcher Brandon Sproat, shortstop Jett Williams and infielder Luisangel Acuña. Sproat and Williams ranked No. 46 and No. 58 on MLB.com's list of the top 100 prospects for 2025, respectively.

Cease spent the first five seasons of his career with the Chicago White Sox before he was traded to San Diego in March 2024.

He was a key piece of the Padres' rotation following the move, finishing with a 14-11 record to go along with a 3.47 ERA and 1.067 WHIP during the 2024 season. He struck out 224 batters in 189.1 innings of work, earning the fourth-most National League Cy Young Award votes.

As the Mets look to build upon their NLCS appearance in 2024, they're reportedly discussing a deal with the Padres involving Cease.

The San Diego Padres will no longer wear their pink- and mint-colored City Connect uniforms following the 2025 MLB season.

According to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, the Padres announced Friday that they will retire the unique unis prior to the 2026 campaign.

The Padres introduced their City Connect uniforms during the 2022 season, which was a magical year for the franchise, as they made it to the National League Championship Series for the first time since 1998.

As is the case with many of the City Connect uniforms, the Padres' threads are a significant departure from their usual brown and yellow color scheme.

Upon unveiling their City Connect unis, the Padres explained that the colors were a nod to their "coastal community," as well as the "vibrant landscapes" and "stunning pink and yellow" sunsets in San Diego and Mexico's Baja California.

Despite the popularity of the jerseys, it perhaps shouldn't come as a surprise since multiple teams are retiring their original City Connect uniforms and introducing new designs in 2025, including the Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros.

There is seemingly a concerted effort for teams to cycle through different City Connect designs every three or four years, which explains why the Padres are set to make a change.

While many will likely be sad to see the Padres' current City Connect uniforms go, Padres fans may have bigger concerns entering the 2025 season.

The Padres have lost several key contributors from last year's team in free agency, including outfielder Jurickson Profar, closer Tanner Scott, catcher Kyle Higashioka and starting pitcher Martín Pérez.

They may also lose infielder Ha-Seong Kim, who remains unsigned after he declined a mutual option for 2025.

On top of that, the Padres have been virtually inactive in free agency with their most notable signing being that of 38-year-old catcher Martín Maldonado.

There have also been trade rumors and speculation surrounding starting pitcher Dylan Cease and infielder Luis Arráez, which suggests the Padres' roster could get even weaker by the start of the 2025 season.

San Diego went 93-69 last season and reached the National League Division Series, but despite the presence of stars such as Fernando Tatís Jr., Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill and Michael King, a return trip to the playoffs in 2025 is far from guaranteed.

It turns out the Los Angeles Dodgers aren't the only team in the NL West permitted to make offseason moves.

According to Dan Hayes and Dennis Lin of The Athletic, "The Minnesota Twins and San Diego Padres have spoken about a potential trade that would send veteran catcher Christian Vázquez to San Diego... No deal was considered imminent Wednesday, but there appeared to be motivation on both sides to continue talking."

Vázquez, 34, hit .221 with seven homers, 27 RBI and 29 runs last season. So no, he's not exactly an impact player on par with Rōki Sasaki, Blake Snell, Tanner Scott or Teoscar Hernández, but he does fill a need for a Padres team looking for a potential upgrade at the catcher position over the incumbent, Luis Campusano (.227 with eight homers and 40 RBI).

In fact, the only signing or trade the Padres have made all winter is the signing of veteran catcher Martín Maldonado to a minor-league contract. For a Padres team that has been incredibly active on the free agency and trade market in recent years, the current offseason has been something of a dud.

Granted, the Padres will return the bones of a team that won 93 games last season, eliminated the Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card Round and took the eventual champion Dodgers to Game 5 of the NLDS.

But the Padres haven't gained any ground on their rivals to the north.

As for Vázquez, Hayes and Lin reported that a "key sticking point in talks between the teams is believed to be how much of Vázquez's contract San Diego would absorb in a possible exchange. The Padres, who still have multiple needs after missing out on a potential ace in Roki Sasaki, are currently projected to be over the luxury tax threshold."

In other words, the splashy moves aren't coming this winter. But Vázquez could still be a potential upgrade at a position of need.

Rōki Sasaki may have taken a pay cut in order to pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The San Diego Padres were willing to offer Sasaki more than $10 million before he signed with the Dodgers for a reported signing bonus of $6.5 million, according to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya, Dennis Lin, Patrick Mooney, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon.

"The Padres told Sasaki's group that they were prepared to trade to max out their bonus pool, according to a league source, and offer the Japanese pitcher the entire sum, a little more than $10 million," The Athletic reporters wrote.

Sasaki will join MLB in 2025 after posting a career 2.10 ERA in four seasons with Japan's Chiba Lotte Marines.

He announced Saturday on social media that he was signing with the Dodgers. The other finalists to sign him were the Padres and Toronto Blue Jays, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman.

His team had previously informed the New York Yankees, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs he would sign elsewhere, according to multiple reports (h/t MLB.com's Thomas Harrigan.)

According to Ardaya, Lin, Mooney, Rosenthal and Sammon, the contest between the final clubs "went up to the final hours before Sasaki announced his decision on Instagram."

The Blue Jays added $2 million to the total they could offer Sasaki by making a trade with the Cleveland Guardians that sent outfielder Myles Straw to Toronto, per ESPN.

The deal required the Blue Jays take on $11.8 million of Straw's contract, but expanded the team's international signing bonus pool to about $8.3 million, according to ESPN.

Because the Blue Jays had not signed any other players since the window opened, they could have used that total on Sasaki. Because of MLB signing rules, the pitcher's initial contract will be limited to the size of the team's bonus pool plus up to 60 percent of the total acquired through trades.

As noted by the Associated Press, the Dodgers had the 29th-largest bonus pool available in MLB with about $5.1 million available.

According to The Athletic reporters, the difference between the offers came down at least in part to "stability... particularly as a contrast to the ongoing legal battle surrounding the rival Padres' ownership group."

While the legal battle over ownership of the Padres continues, Sasaki will join countrymen Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in their preparation for another run at the World Series in 2025.