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Padres hope to change offseason narrative
The San Diego Padres' offseason has been defined by who they have not signed.
Pitching phenom Roki Sasaki not only slipped through the Padres' grasp but signed with the rival Dodgers. Outfielder Jurickson Profar departed in free agency, signing a three-year, $42M contract with the Braves. Trade rumors have swirled around pitcher Dylan Cease and infielder Luis Arraez. The Padres' only notable move thus far has been to retain catcher Elias Diaz. Ownership squabbles have turned what could have been a strong offseason into a whimper.
However, there is still time to change the narrative of the offseason. AJ Cassavell from MLB.com reported that Padres general manager A.J. Preller stated that he intends to put "a championship roster" on the diamond. Preller further stated that the Padres need to add at least one additional hitter and pitcher.
The question is where those players will come from with spring training closing in. First baseman Pete Alonso and third baseman Alex Bregman are the top free-agent hitters available but both are not fits for the holes on the roster. Pitcher Jack Flaherty would strengthen a rotation with question marks in the fourth and fifth starter spots but is likely to cost too much.
Preller has been able to find bargains late in the offseason. Profar signed a one-year deal in February and delivered a career year in 2024. The likes of outfielder Randal Grichuk or pitcher Lance Lynn could be the type of budget signing that works out for the Padres. With the right moves, the Padres could be right back in the playoff picture, hoping to finally bring their first championship to San Diego.
More must-reads:
- Ranking the Padres' most realistic trade pieces
- Teams unwilling to meet asking price for Dylan Cease?
- The 'American League WAR leaders' quiz
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Phillies superstar may be building Hall of Fame case
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber is in the midst of another impressive season. Schwarber entered Wednesday having posted a .249/.373/.578 batting line in his 528 plate appearances this season, hitting 42 homers while driving in a National League-leading 97 runs. The Phillies slugger was named to his third All-Star Game this season and, according to NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, he should be the NL MVP. Schwarber has been one of baseball's premier power hitters since establishing himself in the majors in 2017. He's in his eighth season of hitting 30 or more homers and has reached the 40-homer plateau three times in his four seasons in Philadelphia. The 32-year-old Schwarber may find himself in elite company when his career comes to an end. He has already hit 326 homers in his career, potentially giving him a chance to reach the 500-home run plateau. If Schwarber does hit 500-plus homers, the narrative around his career may change. There have only been 28 players in MLB history to reach that plateau, 19 of whom are in the Hall of Fame. Two players — Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera — are not yet eligible and are expected to be enshrined on the first ballot. The seven players who have not been inducted into the Hall of Fame have been linked to PED use, torpedoing their candidacy. At the same time, his entire candidacy may be based on his home run total. Schwarber has a lifetime .232/.346/.499 batting line over 5,188 plate appearances; although batting average no longer carries much weight for the voters, he would have the lowest batting average of any non-pitcher in the Hall. His 20.7 fWAR has been dragged down by his defense and is unlikely to make him a favorite among the younger voters who put more emphasis on such metrics. Schwarber is marching toward the 500-home run plateau. If he does reach that mark, he could be a polarizing Hall of Fame candidate.
Cowboys fans won't like Jerry Jones' update on Micah Parsons standoff
With the regular season approaching, the Dallas Cowboys should be aiming to extend EDGE Micah Parsons promptly. But they're still in no rush to do that. Parsons is set to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract in 2025 and has requested a trade. Dallas insists it has no plans to move the 26-year-old pass-rusher but hasn't clarified when it will extend him. Giving him a new deal before the regular-season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 4 at 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock) seems wise. Dallas owner Jerry Jones, however, said that's not the team's deadline, nor does it need one. "No, not at all," Jones said Wednesday, via Jonah Javad of WFAA-TV in Dallas. "You don't have deadlines when you're playing under contract." Parsons is under contract, but that doesn't mean he must suit up. The EDGE could hold out of regular-season games, like former Cowboys star running back Emmitt Smith did in 1993. The Pro Football Hall of Famer missed the first two games of the season before becoming the league's highest-paid RB at that time. Parsons hasn't said whether he would hold out of regular-season games, but it's apparent he's unhappy with where things stand. "My mouth is closed," Parsons said Wednesday while leaving the practice field in Oxnard, California, via Field Level Media. Jones didn't say if talks with Parsons would resume when the Cowboys return to Texas for their second preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. The matchup is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. The owner still seems confident Parsons will play on the fifth-year option if Dallas doesn't sign him before the start of the regular season. "Again, all you've got to go on are contracts," Jones said. "We are negotiating for a contract. When you do a contract, you would hope that after a negotiation, that's what both the team and player look to see what our obligations are. I have a lot of respect for the contract." Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb played the last years of their rookie contracts. Perhaps Jones wants Parsons to do the same. Still, that would be silly. Paying the four-time Pro Bowler should be a no-brainer for the Cowboys, so they should stop wasting time and show him the money.
'He's different': Vikings' J.J. McCarthy gets compared to future Hall of Famer
Before Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones shared a locker room with quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Jones and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers were teammates with the Green Bay Packers from 2017 through the 2022 season. Jones recently claimed that he sees some of Rodgers in McCarthy heading into what could become a franchise-altering campaign for the Vikings. "[McCarthy] is a very, very hungry and driven player, but also a leader," Jones explained, Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame shared. "He’s different. In terms of the smarts, I put him in that category with Aaron Rodgers, in terms of how smart he is and really having an understanding for the game." That's high praise considering Rodgers is a four-time NFL MVP and a Super Bowl MVP who is regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. That said, nobody knows what McCarthy will be as a pro after the 2024 first-round draft pick spent his first NFL season recovering from a meniscus repair. McCarthy returned to the playing field when he completed four of seven pass attempts for 30 yards in Minnesota's 20-10 preseason win over the Houston Texans on Saturday. He also tested his surgically-repaired knee when he used his legs to pick up a first down on a fourth-and-4 situation in the game's first quarter. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell could've pushed for the club to re-sign Sam Darnold after he guided Minnesota to a 14-3 record last season. O'Connell and Co. had "conversations" about possibly signing Rodgers before McCarthy received the keys to the Minnesota offense ahead of training camp. Jones seems to believe O'Connell and Co. made the right call. "He’s been amazing," Jones added about McCarthy. "I’m honestly confident in what we have here. I feel like we have everything we need, all the pieces we need here. I feel like J.J. is going to surprise a lot of people." As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Vikings seventh among the betting favorites at +1100 odds to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LX. It will be interesting to see how McCarthy handles the pressure when Minnesota opens the regular season with a "Monday Night Football" matchup at the Chicago Bears on Sept. 8.
Former Chargers draft pick signs with Texans in free agency
Another former Los Angeles Chargers player is on the move in free agency. Not long after a former Chargers tight end signed with the Los Angeles Rams, yet another former Chargers tight end has found a new home. This time, it’s Tre' McKitty signing with the Houston Texans. As Chargers fans surely remember, Los Angeles drafted McKitty in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft and he was with the team through October of 2023 before his release. Since, McKitty has bounced around with teams like the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns before this latest stop with the Texans. Over his first two seasons with the Chargers, McKitty caught 16 passes, yet hasn’t broken onto the field in a regular season game since. As for the Chargers, they’re currently enjoying a nice period of depth at a position that is usually problematic. They added Tyler Conklin in free agency and Oronde Gadsden in the draft to a depth chart with Will Dissly.
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