(Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
The San Diego Padres gave Xander Bogaerts $280 million to be their starting shortstop for the foreseeable future.
This forced a decision to send Fernando Tatis Jr. to the outfield.
Tatis, at shortstop, was a four-tool star: he could hit for average, has prodigious power, runs like the wind, and has a strong, accurate arm.
Defense, however, was an issue.
That’s why sending him to right field wasn’t a big issue for the Padres.
Juan Soto will handle left, while Tatis, who has superior arm strength, might be better suited for right.
If you don’t believe us when we say his arm is something else, take a look at this:
Fernando Tatís Jr. with a cannon to throw out the runner at third from right field! pic.twitter.com/YZ8C4gdWa5
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 27, 2023
Not only was that throw a true laser, but it was also right on the money.
Tatis in the outfield could rack up lots of assists.
His routes, jumps, and reads will be heavily scrutinized, but he will have to learn on the fly.
He has had a large portion of the spring as practice, too.
Since he still has a few games left of his performance-enhancing drugs suspension, he won’t be eligible to return until April 20.
The last time he was on a major league field for a regular season game was in 2021.
It has been a while, but he remains a big part of the Padres’ future.
He is signed to a mammoth deal, he remains a 40-40 threat, and he has the talent to form a dominant foursome together with Bogaerts, Soto, and Manny Machado.
The Padres will be a very fun team to follow this campaign.
The post Fernando Tatis Jr. Showed Off His Arm In A Big Way appeared first on The Cold Wire.