In non-tendering Will Middlebrooks, Rocky Gale and Frank Garces, the Padres have left themselves with four open spots on the 40-man roster heading into next week’s Winter Meetings. While General Manager A.J. Preller is sure to explore opportunities on the trade market and in the upper tiers of free agency, he’s likely also sifting through his competitors’ to see who might be useful. Here are seven names that could pop onto the Padres’ radar.
1B/3B Pedro Alvarez
For good reason, Alvarez is already among the most popular names to have hit free agency this week after the Pirates non-tendered their one-time second overall pick.