The San Diego Padres are in the midst of a busy offseason, looking to retool the roster and remain in postseason contention while maintaining payroll flexibility.
As a result, Fernando Tatis Jr. briefly emerged as a potential trade candidate, given his contract is considered affordable and any contender would welcome his level of production.
However, the Padres quickly shut down that speculation on Monday, making it clear they intend to build around Tatis rather than move him to reshape the roster.
It is easy to see why, given the player Tatis is and what he means to both the team and the fan base. The 26-year-old outfielder captured the Platinum Glove Award in right field this year, an honor given to the best defensive player in each league.
His bat remains a force as well, as he posted a .268 batting average, a .368 on-base percentage, an .814 OPS, 25 home runs and 71 RBIs across 155 games.