Back in December, the San Diego Padres made headlines when they sent away Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the New York Yankees. With both gone, a big question mark rose in the Padres' center and left field positions. At the moment, discussions have been raised on the topic of Fernando Tatis Jr. making the switch to center.
This was recently brought up by the media to San Diego manager Mike Shildt, who had a hilarious response.
“Yeah, we talked in Dominican that he (Tatis) was gonna play center and right at the same time,” Shildt said jokingly.
“And he was okay with that. I was just gonna petition the league, ‘Like listen if we can have him hit second and seventh, and have a pinch runner for him, would you guys be okay if we play with an outfielder short and just have Tatis play right and center…but he gets to hit twice.” (via 97.3 The Fan)
Despite his sarcasm, Shildt still managed to praise the former All-Star.
“If anybody could do it it'd be him (Tatis) so he feels good in right. Listen, he can play clearly anywhere on the field.”
Fernando Tatis Jr…modern day Bugs Bunny? pic.twitter.com/lADzj3isxi
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) February 13, 2024
A shortstop by nature, Tatis recently won a Gold Glove Award with San Diego this past 2023 as a right fielder. With a strong year behind him, a potential move to center could be risky for the Padres, as El Niño only appeared in 12 games as CF throughout his entire MLB career.
Still, knowing what Fernando Tatis Jr. brings to the table, the move may be possible, and it will be interesting to see what decision the Padres will make once the season begins.
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