SAN DIEGO — A.J. Preller appears to be at it again.
Or perhaps the Padres President of Baseball Operations is simply doing his usual uniquely exhaustive due diligence.
While there is no real clarity on how advanced discussions are, the Padres have at least waded further into the deep free agent shortstop market.
A league source said Friday the team has talked with representatives for Trea Turner and characterized those talks as at least as extensive as the previously reported talks the team has had with Xander Boegarts' agents.
The Padres finding a way to add either of the premier free agent shortstops still seems like a long shot, especially considering the fact they have Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ha-Seong Kim available to play the position.
A team source said earlier this offseason that any move for a shortstop likely would involve trading another middle infielder. That executive specifically mentioned the possibility Jake Cronenworth could be made available but stopped short of saying the team was looking to trade the two-time All-Star second baseman.
Preller can never be counted out when considering the possibility of big moves.
But the Padres' payroll is already likely to exceed $210 million and would inflate past $230 million with the signing of either Bogaerts or Turner.
Additionally, Bogaerts and Turner were both extended qualifying offers by their previous teams. That would mean the Padres would surrender their second and fifth draft picks and $1 million in international bonus pool money.
Turner, 29, was the Padres' first-round draft pick in 2014 and was traded six months later to the Nationals as part of a three-team deal that brought Wil Myers to San Diego. Turner went on to make two All-Star teams and last season hit .298/.343/.466 for the Dodgers.
Bogaerts, 30, is a four-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger winner while playing nine-plus seasons with the Red Sox. He hit .307/.377/.456 in '22.
