PEORIA, Ariz. —
He walked into the Padres clubhouse here Monday afternoon and saw the new brown garb and so many new teammates.
“It was like I did get traded,” Austin Hedges deadpanned.
Yes, he paid attention this offseason.
He and close friend Wil Myers, Hedges said, were aware of “every rumor that could possibly happen.” Except, he knew, they weren’t mere rumors.
“It’s impossible not to (pay attention) when they’re real,” Hedges said. “… It’s a business. It’s a reality when you don’t perform the way you know you’re capable of performing, teams are going to try to get better.