Good Morning San Diego: Bryan Hoeing, Jackson Merrill look for success in ‘26; Padres have been making moves, but few headlines

Bryan Hoeing came to the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline in the 2024 season. He was not the focus of the trade as Tanner Scott also joined the Padres in the same deal, but his versatility and potential made him a player not to be overlooked. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball looks at what Hoeing has done during his time in San Diego and what could be instore for the right-hander this season.

Padres News:

• Jackson Merrill burst onto the MLB scene and captured the fans of San Diego in his rookie season in 2024. However, as much as Merrill and the Friar Faithfull were looking for greater success in 2025, injuries and a prolonged slump resulted in a down season for the centerfielder. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball looks at what Merrill will have to do this season to give the Padres what they need to be contenders.
• San Diego has been busy adding to its minor league system this offseason with more than a dozen players signed to minor league deals, but the Padres have not made many moves that directly affect the big-league roster. San Diego has re-signed pitchers Michael King and Kyle Hart, signed relievers Ty Adcock and Daison Acosta and added free agent infielder Sung-Mun Song, but they still have areas of need to address. How would the readers of Gaslamp Ball rate what the Padres have done this offseason?
• AJ Cassavell of Padres.com identifies Freddy Fermin as the primary catcher for the Padres heading into Spring Training, but it has yet to be determined who will be the backup. San Diego has Luis Campusano and recently added Blake Hunt to compete for the job, but Cassavell also notes the Padres could look to bolster the position throughout free agency or with a trade at some point this offseason.
• David Morgan had an impressive rookie season out of the bullpen in 2025 and there was some talk that he could be stretched out to become a starter this season. Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller all but said that is not going to happen. Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribunelooks at Morgan and what he can do for an encore in his second season in the Padres’ bullpen.

Baseball News:

• The New York Yankees made a move – no, they did not sign Cody Bellinger, but are reportedly still negotiating with him. They did, however, make a trade with the Miami Marlins to add left-hander Ryan Weathers to their starting rotation.
• The New York Mets have made an aggressive offer to free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker. According to reports, the Mets have offered a short-term contract with compensation around $50 million per season. The Toronto Blue Jays have already had an active offseason, but they are still in the bidding for Tucker’s services and have extended a long-term offer.
• The Arizona Diamondbacks were unable to land free agent third baseman Alex Bregman, so they went to the trade market and made a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, adding third baseman Nolan Arenado to their roster. The Cardinals are reportedly paying $31 million of the $42 million owed to Arenado as part of the deal.
• Free agent infielder Bo Bichette, who met with the Philadelphia Phillies, Tuesday is still on the market, but teams who either cannot or do not want to sign him are looking to the trade market. Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner and Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan are drawing interest from multiple teams. One of the teams most intensely pursuing Hoerner is said to be the San Francisco Giants.
• The Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a trade that sent reliever Chase Shugart to Philadelphia in exchange for a minor leaguer.