The Padres are coming off an 82-80 season that saw them finish third in the National League West last season. The team appears to be set on losing out on Blake Snell in free agency and has some areas of concern with their lineup DH and 4th outfielder to be specific right now. This is why they have been heavily linked to the below free-agent outfielders.
OF – Tommy Pham
Pham is a veteran leader in the outfield with his right-handed bat and good-average defense. Pham started the 2023 season with the Mets last year before heading out to the Diamondbacks where he played a role in their deep playoff run. In his 50 games with the D-Backs last year he had 12 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 32 RBIs, 11 steals, 18 walks, and slashed .241/.304/.415. Pham still has some pop and speed to offer coming into the 2024 season and a bat like his could be a nice addition to the Padres current lineup mix.
OF – Adam Duvall
Duvall is a guy who can potentially play all three spots in the outfield or serve as the primary DH for a team. Last season Duvall played for the Boston Red Sox and missed some time early in the season with a broken wrist. Duvall appeared in 92 games last season had 24 doubles, two triples, 21 home runs, 58 RBIs, four steals, 22 walks, and slashed .247/.303/.531 with an OBPS of .834. Duvall was on fire to start the year last year for the Red Sox before breaking his wrist and I believe his ability to play all outfield spots along with his power fit well with this Padres team.
Summary
Of the two I would rather see Duvall throw on a Padres uniform this year. I think in this lineup with this team he could easily hit 28-32 home runs and knock in 80 RBIs. I would have Duvall start in leftfield until Jackson Merrill arrives if they let him play, then I would shift Duvall to the DH spot and I would hit him 5th or 6th in the order which adds depth to the batting order.
