The San Diego Padres have a new ownership group reportedly looking to make a splash in free agency.
The Padres have a need for an outfielder, and have for a couple of seasons now. They have Jackson Merrill in center field and Fernando Tatis Jr. in right field, but they need a left fielder. Luckily for them, one of the best hitters available in free agency is a corner outfielder: Seiya Suzuki.
According to The Athletic's Dennis Lin, the Padres have "expressed interest" in Suzuki already.
Suzuki is a right fielder, but the team could move him to left field or move Tatis over to left field. Suzuki's defense has been a huge knock on him, but this year he took a huge step up. He was named a Gold Glove Award finalist this year, and should cash in this offseason.
He slashed .270/.368/.473 last season and has posted an OPS over .800 in four of his five seasons in the big leagues. He hit 26 home runs last season and has 113 total home runs as a big leaguer.
He would be a great addition to the Padres and would finally fill their need for a third outfielder. However, this is a weak free agent class, and Suzuki and Randy Arozarena are the only real elite right-handed hitters available.
There will be plenty of teams bidding for their services, and the Padres will have to make a very competitive offer to land Suzuki.