Padres reportedly meet with Japanese 3B Nobuhiro Matsuda
The San Diego Padres might be addressing their need for a third baseman by acquiring international talent.
According the San Diego Union-Tribune, multiple Japanese outlets report that Padres general manager A.J. Preller and director of player personnel Logan White met with free-agent Japanese third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda earlier this week.
Matsuda, who has played a decade in Japan, became an international free agent earlier in November.
The apparent meeting between the two parties comes shortly after White said last week that San Diego wants to "constantly improve the Padre brand in Asia, particularly in Japan."
In his 10-year professional career, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Matsuda has hit .277/.325/.477 with 161 home runs and 577 RBI, and is considered an above-average defender, as he has won a handful of Gold Glove Awards in Japan.
The veteran infielder's decision to become an international free agent comes on the heels of a standout season at the plate, in which he hit 32 home runs and drove in 94 runs, both of which are career highs. He also drew a career-high 60 walks and scored a career-high 91 runs.
Matsuda will turn 33 next May.
