SAN DIEGO – Fernando Tatis Jr. has yet to take a ground ball or swing a bat at spring training and he’s already the talk of the San Diego Padres’ clubhouse.
The electrifying shortstop and the Padres agreed Wednesday to a $340 million, 14-year deal, according to two people familiar with the situation, giving San Diego’s camp even more buzz than it already had after the team made a number of high-profile offseason moves. “There’s great excitement around here,” manager Jayce Tingler said on a videoconference Thursday from Peoria, Arizona. “Holy smokes, that’s a lot of money,” newly signed reliever Mark Melancon said. “Just playing across from him, his energy is awesome.