Fernando Tatis Jr. is reaching for the stars in San Diego, saying he wants to one day see himself immortalised in bronze at Petco Park.
The 22-year-old star shortstop has penned a life-changing 14-year, $340million contract with the Padres and is already declaring himself a one-franchise man.
Tatis has only pulled on a Padres jersey 143 times but has already proven his value, last year leading them to a first MLB playoff appearance since 2006 and a long-awaited first postseason win since 1998.
After finishing third in the 2019 National League (NL) rookie of the year balloting and fourth in the NL MVP race last year, the Padres declared their commitment to Tatis and Dominican ace did not hesitate to reciprocate.
"Why not go to a statue contract?" Tatis said after inking the third biggest deal in competition history.
"People are saying, 'Oh, too many years.' But I just love what I'm seeing, what we're going to do.
"I want that statue on one team. I want to stay on one team and build my legacy over here in San Diego."
For Tatis to achieve his dream of being forged into a legend, there is no doubt the Padres need to do a lot more winning and significantly more trophy lifting.
The team have only ever twice been to a World Series, falling to the Detroit Tigers in 1984 and the New York Yankees in 1998, but the 2020 Silver Slugger Award winner envisions a much different future.
"I was already thinking about that since I got to the big leagues," Tatis said.
"In my dreams, the players I admire the most, they stay on one team, they build a culture, and they become winners with that team.
"I'm over here trying to do the same."
The Padres have made moves to surround Tatis with talent this offseason, bolstering their pitching ranks by trading for the likes of Yu Darvish, Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove.
The challenge for president of baseball operations A.J. Preller, and manager Jayce Tingler, is fitting the rest of the puzzle together.
It seems clear they already have their main piece in place until at least 2034.
"I love this city," Tatis added. "I love the fans. I love the culture. I love the vibe.
"And I'm all about winning, and I'm all about winning in San Diego."
Diamondbacks acquire slugger Suarez from Mariners
The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired third baseman Eugenio Suarez from the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday in an attempt to bolster a position that lacked power during the team’s run to the World Series last season.
Arizona finished tied for 28th in Major League Baseball in 2023 with only 10 total home runs by its third baseman. Suarez, meanwhile, hit 22 homers of his own for Seattle.
“It adds a little bit of stability at that spot,” Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said. “He’s a guy we’ve liked for a long time.”
Suarez, 32, was a 2018 All-Star for the Cincinnati Reds, who traded him to the Mariners in March 2022.
He’s hit .248 with 246 home runs and 730 RBIs in 1,313 career games for Detroit, Cincinnati and Seattle.
The Mariners acquired reliever Carlos Vargas and catcher Seby Zavala from Arizona, which lost in five games to the Texas Rangers in the World Series after going 84-78 during the regular season.
Aaron Nola staying with Phillies on 7-year contract
Starting pitcher Aaron Nola has agreed to a seven-year contract to remain with the Philadelphia Phillies, multiple media outlets reported Sunday.
The deal is worth a reported $172million, as the Phillies keep a cornerstone piece in their rotation.
Nola, 30, is the first major free agent to come off the board in a class that is headlined by two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and includes fellow hurlers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery.
Nola has spent his entire MLB career in Philadelphia and has finished in the top five of Cy Young award voting twice.
The right-hander saw his numbers slip a bit in 2023 with a 4.46 ERA but rebounded in the post-season with three quality starts and an ERA of 2.35 over 23 innings.
Nola and Zack Wheeler make up one of the best and most reliable rotation duos in baseball.
Since 2018, Nola has thrown 1,065 1/3 innings, the second most in the majors over that span. Wheeler is fourth on that list with 1,007 innings pitched.
Nola is one of five pitchers with at least 200 strikeouts in each of the last three seasons.
Nola was the priority in a vital offseason for the Phillies after making it to the World Series in 2022 and the NLCS last season but falling short of a title.
In 235 career starts, Nola has a 3.72 ERA and has 1,582 strikeouts in 1,422 innings pitched.
Athletics’ move from Oakland to Las Vegas approved by MLB owners
The Athletics’ move from Oakland to Las Vegas has been approved by Major League Baseball owners.
The 30 franchise owners voted unanimously in support of the team’s move from California to Nevada, with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred acknowledging that it was a “terrible day” for fans in Oakland.
The Athletics executives reached an agreement to build a new stadium in Las Vegas in May after the state’s legislature approved public financing towards the construction.
The Athletics have been based in Oakland since 1968, having previously been in Kansas City and Philadelphia.
MLB commissioner Manfred told a press conference: “I know this is a terrible day for fans in Oakland. I understand that, and that’s why we’ve always had a policy of doing everything humanly possible to avoid a relocation.
“I truly believe we did that in this case. I think it’s beyond debate that the status quo in Oakland was untenable.
“I absolutely am convinced that there was not a viable path forward in Oakland. We look forward to being in Las Vegas; there’s tremendous support locally for having the A’s there. We do believe over the long haul that Las Vegas will be a great asset to Major League Baseball.”
The Athletics’ owners had been unable to find a solution to keep the team in Oakland, with their existing Coliseum home in need of redevelopment.
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