The San Diego Padres officially lost out on Ryan O’Hearn in free agency after the 1B/DH signed a two-year, $29 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Dec. 23. While this was, for the most part, expected, it still leaves a hole on the roster that needs to be patched quickly, as the team is yet to hear anything on the status of Luis Arráez.
Arráez’s market has faltered recently, more than most people had originally expected heading into free agency and winter meetings. The reason for this is that teams would rather dish out long-term, lucrative deals to power hitters rather than those who hit for contact.