Multiple Teams Showing Interest In Padres First Baseman

The San Diego Padres got plenty of production from Ty France at first base, and France has expressed an interest in coming back to San Diego. France made his comments right after the Padres’ season came to an end after they lost in the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers, but now it looks like France will have a lot of suitors to choose from. 

According to a report from Mark Polishuk of MLBTradeRumors.com that referenced material from Will Sammon of The Athletic, multiple teams have expressed interest in France, and he could find a deal quickly. 

France had to wait until February to sign his contract last year, but this year there’s a different level of urgency. The lockout starts on Dec. 1, and players don’t want to be left out in the cold when things shut down. 

That almost certainly won’t happen to France this time around. He posted a slash line of .295/.363/.502 with 21 homers over 500 plate appearances, and he played elite defense at first base as he was +7 in Outs Above Average. France also put the ball in play as well, although Polishuk did say his contract could be limited by his age, which is 32. 

France has ranked well in nearly every list of free agent candidates, and Polishuk had the AAV of his contract at $16 million. That could be too rich for the Padres, who are looking at this season as a “blank canvas” that gives them the ability to get younger and more athletic. 

The first baseman credited a simpler approach for his offensive success at the plate this year, and France lauded Toronto Bule Jays hitting coach David Popkins for altering his hand placement to increase his production. 

France has also walked back his comments about wanting to stay in San Diego a little since the end of the Padres’ postseason run. He said he understands “the business side of it,” and he has a little more freedom now that his children are no longer infants. 

He added that he’s “open to hearing everybody out” as he tests the market, per Polishuk, with that process starting with the GM meetings this week. Free agency is expected to be a wild scramble this month, and France will be right in the middle of it. 

We’re about to find out just how much the Padres value France, and how much he really wants to stay in San Diego as these discussions start for real.