San Diego Padres Roster
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San Diego Padres shortstop/outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (shoulder, wrist) took swings in the batting cages on Thursday. Tatis was cleared to resume baseball activities on Jan. 6 and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training after missing all of the 2022 season due to a fractured wrist and a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. The 24-year-old superstar will miss the first 20 games of the 2023 season to close out his suspension, but he's expected to be ready to go late in the first month of the season and will once again have high expectations despite missing all of 2022. Tatis is expected to move to the outfield this year due to the addition of Xander Bogaerts, so he will gain outfield eligibility for fantasy managers. Despite a lost season, he will be a top-five fantasy middle infielder in upcoming drafts.
San Diego Padres right-hander Sean Poppen has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A El Paso. The Padres initially claimed Poppen off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 28-year-old saw action 29 times out of the bullpen for the Snakes in 2022, posting a 4.40 ERA (5.21 FIP), 1.36 WHIP, 12 walks and only 22 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings pitched. He has an ERA over 5.00 in four major-league seasons with the D-backs, Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays, and he hasn't been much better in the minor leagues. Poppen will strictly serve as minor-league relief depth in 2023 if he remains with the organization.
The San Diego Padres and infielder Jake Cronenworth avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $4.25 million deal. Cronenworth is coming off back-to-back All-Star nods for the Friars. He finished up his third MLB season with a .239/.332/.390 slash line with a career-low .722 OPS, 17 home runs, a career-high 88 RBI, 88 runs scored and three stolen bases in 684 plate appearances and 158 games. The 28-year-old has some decent power at the second base position and resides in one of the best lineups in baseball. He'll also be the team's primary first baseman in 2023, so he'll add some positional flexibility to his fantasy profile. Cronenworth is ranked just inside the top 20 second basemen at RotoBaller.
The San Diego Padres avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.35 million deal with catcher Austin Nola. The 33-year-old backstop came on strong for the Padres in the postseason, but he wasn't all that great in the regular season with a .251/.321/.329 slash line, .649 OPS, four home runs, 40 RBI, 40 runs scored and two stolen bases in 397 plate appearances and a career-high 110 games played in 2022. Nola should once again see his fair share of playing time in 2023 in one of the best lineups in the league, but hasn't reached double-digit home runs since his rookie year with the Seattle Mariners in 2019 (10), and he could lose substantial playing time to Luis Campusano when it's all said and done.
The San Diego Padres and outfielder Trent Grisham avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $3.175 million deal. Grisham struggled to make contact regularly in his third year with the Friars in 2022, finishing with a .184/.284/.341 slash line, career-low .626 OPS, career-high 17 home runs, 53 RBI, 58 runs scored and seven stolen bases in 524 plate appearances over a career-high 152 games played. The 26-year-old was a liability at the plate, but he did show some signs of life in the postseason and also won his second Gold Glove award on defense. Needless to say, Grisham's fantasy value has dropped significantly heading into 2023, and there's a good chance he'll be benched this year if he doesn't improve.
