Resorting to Padres rumors and predictions
There's simply not enough Padres news to feed the beast, Torrey Pines worries about PGA abandonment, Belichick gets stiffed by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and commentary on our crumbling democracy.
Sometimes, I like to go through and find all of the (mostly ridiculous) rumors swirling around the San Diego Padres during the offseason. Because of who A.J. Preller is, how he operates, and the fact that he doesn’t typically refute rumors…..it can get a little nutty.
So, with their being no actual Padres news today, let’s see how many weird rumors and ideas and predictions we can dig up about the Padres just from the last day or two:
San Diego Padres (rumors & nonsense)
The Padres are in the Mix for C.J. Abrams - If They Can Afford Him - Sports Illustrated
The Padres are one of four teams listed as potential destinations for the star shortstop, along with the Red Sox, Yankees and Mariners. Abrams remains one of the brightest young shortstops in baseball, finishing last season with 19 home runs, 31 stolen bases and a 107 wRC+ at age 25.
In San Diego, Abrams would likely shift to second base, which shouldn’t be an issue given his defensive ability. Paired with Xander Bogaerts, the two would form one of the best middle infields in baseball, combining for 17.1 defensive outs above average, according to FanGraphs.
A NY Mets-Padres trade that suddenly makes sense with Yu Darvish possibly retiring - Rising Apple
This ideal trade would see New York send lefty David Peterson to San Diego in exchange for Jeremiah Estrada. Estrada, a 27-year-old right-hander, was a workhorse last year, making 77 appearances and logging 73 innings. He’s got a high-90s fastball, a pretty decent slider, and an absolutely lethal splitter that generated a ridiculous 47.5% whiff rate. That arsenal led to him finishing third among big league relievers with a 13.32 K/9 mark. He’s not invisible, but his 3.45 ERA last season was solid, and he’s still ascending. Lastly, he comes with four years of team control, making him an affordable asset to continue building out the bullpen with.
As for the Padres’ side of things, Peterson scratches their need for a starter, and with an $8.1 million salary for 2026, he’s cheap. They have Michael King to lead their rotation, so a solid mid-rotation arm fits the bill. That’s Peterson. On top of that, their only left-handed option to start is JP Sears, and his 5.04 ERA. Peterson represents a significant upgrade there.
Why Disgruntled Andrew McCutchen Makes Sense for the Padres - Sports Illustrated
McCutchen took to X to explain his desire to remain in MLB and with the Pirates, but with that option now seemingly off the table, he’ll have to explore alternatives. And who wouldn’t want to retire in San Diego?
Despite his age, McCutchen has remained durable and productive. He logged 551 plate appearances last season but finished with a sub-100 wRC+ (95) for just the second time in his career. That dip was largely tied to the heavy workload he carried. He’s still an impact hitter, just no longer a full-time DH capable of anchoring a lineup. In favorable matchups against left-handers, he posted a more encouraging 104 wRC+.
Padres’ first base need is dragging them into a messy Phillies breakup - Friars on Base
It’s well known at this point that Castellanos and the Philadelphia Phillies want a divorce, and that Castellanos is open to switching positions to facilitate a trade. However, after passing on Nolan Arenado — long one of the best defensive corner infielders in the league — over financial concerns, it’s hard to see exactly how the Phillies’ veteran slugger is a better option.
For one thing, Castellanos, 34 in March, is owed $20 million in the final year of his deal in 2026. The Phillies would have to eat nearly 75% of that to match the yearly salary the Arizona Diamondbacks will be paying Arenado. Would they really do that amidst such a quiet offseason in Philadelphia?
And even if they do, Castellanos is an awful defender who has never played at inning at first base. He did player the hot corner with the Detroit Tigers a decade ago, but he wasn’t exactly lights out there, either.
Red Sox & Padres Are Perfect, But Impossible, Trade Partners - Talk Sox
The San Diego Padres match up so well to get a deal done, but there’s just not a financial way to make any trade make sense. The Padres are ripe with infield talent, and likely would be willing to part with one of them to acquire a young, controllable starting pitcher. The Sox are arguably the deepest team in the league when it comes to that side of the deal. Both teams though, are looking to make deals to lessen their payroll and tax bill for this season. Should the Red Sox be interested in someone like Jake Cronenworth? Absolutely. He plays solid defense, logged time at three infield positions in 2025, doesn’t strike out a ton, and walks even more. The downside? He’s about halfway through a seven-year extension with the Padres and would add money to a payroll that already appears to be at its limit.
We’d all love to see Xander Bogaerts back in Boston, but if you’ve forgotten, he’s signed through 2033 and has an AAV of $25.3 million. Sure, the Padres could be convinced to pay some of that down to sweeten the deal — GM AJ Preller has long coveted Jarren Duran — but their budget constraints are even worse than the Red Sox’s, and if Breslow made a deal like that, then it’s likely John Henry and the rest of Fenway Sports Group would be searching for yet another President of Baseball Operations. What about Manny Machado to man the hot corner? Aside from the level of vitriol that still pours out of most Sox fans when his name is spoken, his contract is nuts. He’s also signed through 2033 with an AAV of $31.82 million. There’s just no way to pay either of those deals down enough or add enough pieces from the Padres’ already-depleted farm system to make any kind of trade make sense.
Odds & Ends
Farmers Insurance Open notebook: PGA Tour wouldn’t leave ‘iconic’ Torrey Pines, would it? - San Diego Union-Tribune
It was revealed 2 1/2 weeks ago that this will be the last year for Farmers as title sponsor, ending a relationship that began in 2010. This comes at a time when there has been talk of reducing the number of PGA tournaments on the calendar.
Sports Illustrated reported two weeks ago about one idea “floated” that would reduce the schedule to 22 tournament weeks, plus the four major championships. That would mean a reduction of eight tournaments.
The Farmers, which began in 1952 as the San Diego Open, is one of only a handful of PGA Tour events that have been held for more than half a century. This is the 59th straight year the event has been played at Torrey Pines.
Could extending that streak be in jeopardy?
Wetzel: If Belichick isn’t first ballot, just shut the Hall down - ESPN
If Bill Belichick isn’t a Hall of Fame coach, as the committee that determines such things believes, then you might as well not even have a Pro Football Hall of Fame.
ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham reported Tuesday that the legendary Belichick failed to earn the necessary support for enshrinement during a Jan. 13 voting session.
It was Belichick’s first appearance on the ballot, and while he’ll get additional chances in future years, it is patently absurd that he didn’t garner at least 80% support from the 50-person selection committee. In other words, at least 11 voters somehow didn’t include him on their ballot.
Whether it is the people voting or the process of the voting or the arrogance of the voters, it doesn’t change the absurdity here. If the intent were to humiliate Belichick because of Spygate, or his gruff demeanor, or his tabloid personal life, or his 4-8 season at the University of North Carolina, it didn’t work.
The humiliation is completely on the committee and, in turn, on the Hall of Fame itself.
Iga Świątek echoes Coco Gauff criticism of Australian Open cameras: ‘Are we animals in the zoo?’ - The Athletic
With cameras in the parking lot, the gym, and the hallways, there are precious few areas for players to retreat to — far fewer than at Wimbledon and the French Open. Świątek herself had been filmed not being allowed into a player area because she didn’t have her accreditation — as happened to Roger Federer here seven years ago. On Wednesday, Świątek was filmed lying down with her eyes closed ahead of facing Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open quarterfinals.
Asked about the backstage cameras following a 7-5, 6-1 defeat by Rybakina, Świątek backed up Gauff’s position. “The question is, are we tennis players, or are we, like, animals in the zoo where they are observed even when they poop?” she asked in a news conference.
Emma Hayes’ experimental window is over. Now the USWNT sets its sights on the World Cup - The Athletic
The January window focused on development. Hayes named two of the least-experienced starting XIs for the USWNT in 25 years, with Tuesday’s team against Chile averaging 5.2 caps per player. The line-up that began the match against Paraguay on Saturday averaged fewer than 10 caps.
Hayes was unable to call in many of her regulars for these matches. Because it falls outside of a typical FIFA window, European clubs are not required to release players, meaning this camp featured only those from the NWSL, minus Gotham FC players, who are in London for the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup.
Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama ‘horrified’ by Minnesota shootings - ESPN
Wembanyama, asked by reporters about the unrest, expressed some reticence to speak out because he is not a United States citizen and acknowledged he was doing so against the advice of the team’s public relations staff.
“Yeah, PR has tried, but I’m not going to sit here and give some politically correct [answer],” the Frenchman told reporters after practice at Victory Capital Performance Center. “Every day I wake up and see the news, and I’m horrified. I think it’s crazy that some people might make it seem like or make it sound like the murder of civilians is acceptable.”
The Evidence of Our Eyes and Ears Is Under Attack - The Ringer
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears,” ran the quote from Orwell’s 1984 that spread across social media after Pretti’s killing. “It was their final, most essential command.” President Trump described Good as a “professional agitator” who “behaved horribly” and “ran over” the ICE agent who shot her. Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem insisted that she had engaged in “terrorism,” and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller (and Noem once again) said the same of Pretti. Miller went as far as to call Pretti an “assassin,” while Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino said Pretti had set out to “massacre law enforcement.” The videos showed nothing of the kind.
Yup, I Wrote About Nazis - Dallas McLaughlin’s Substack
Right now we are watching people who should, by all accounts be smarter than this, fall for a con so basic it’s actually laughable. When Hitler took over Germany it wasn’t with the promise of anything tangible. He ran, and won, on promising to make Germany great again. That was it.
His plans were essentially grand scale Socialism, and vague, and the only thing he really did was kill a lot of people (and also really sharpen up marching).
Hitler, like Trump (or vice versa historically), was also a grifter. He had nothing of value to offer except the promise of a better tomorrow if you were like him. If you weren’t then you were probably going to die.