Padres welcome back former All-Star Ty France on a minor league deal, bolstering first base options and adding a familiar face to San Diego.
Well, the San Diego Padres and A.J. Preller have been very busy since coming to Peoria, Arizona.
The Padres started by signing former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos to a one-year deal. The Phillies are essentially paying Castellanos this season, so it's a low-risk, high-reward move for San Diego.
Then, they signed former New York Mets pitcher Griffin Canning to add some depth to the pitching rotation.
And, they also signed former Colorado Rockies All-Star pitcher Germán Márquez to a one-year deal, so it's been a series of low-risk, potentially high-reward moves for Preller and San Diego.
Entering spring training, two of the big questions were who would play first base and what the back of the rotation would look like.
Castellanos has already been working at first base since joining the Padres, and Gavin Sheets and Miguel Andujar are also potential options there.
On Monday, the Padres added another possibility by reuniting with Ty France.
France played in 138 total games in 2025 between the Minnesota Twins and the Toronto Blue Jays, hitting .257 with seven home runs and 52 RBIs.
France began his MLB career with the Padres in 2019 and 2020, but he was traded to the Seattle Mariners at the 2020 deadline. Here was the France trade:
Padres get: C Austin Nola, RHP Dan Altavilla, RHP Austin Adams
Mariners get: INF Ty France, OF Taylor Trammell, RHP Andres Muñoz, C Luis Torrens
France then was with the Mariners until 2024, and he spent the rest of 2024 with the Cincinnati Reds before going to Minnesota.
France played college baseball at San Diego State, and he is a Southern California native, so it's a nice return for both sides.
The Padres need a first baseman, and while it is just a minor league deal, if France plays well, he should be able to crack the Opening Day roster.
It could be a tough battle for the first base spot, and there is also a possibility that it is a platoon when the season starts, as manager Craig Stammen looks for the best fit.
And, the Padres also agreed to a long-term contract extension on Monday with GM A.J. Preller, so it's been a busy time in the front office.
The roster looks to be filled out for the time being, but you can never count out Preller from making other moves, especially as he lands a new deal.