Padres' Ty France lifeline keeps Peoria flooded with familiar Mariners faces

Are the San Diego Padres doing a bit? It feels like they're doing a bit. But you have to admire them for committing to it, as they have added yet another former Seattle Mariner via a deal with Ty France.

Dennis Lin of The Athletic was on the news on Monday, reporting that the veteran infielder's pact with the Friars is a minor league contract with a spring training invite:

For anyone scoring at home, that's almost a half-dozen (i.e., an overstated way of saying "four") former members of the Mariners organization who are now in camp with the Padres. There's France and Marco Gonzales, as well as former regulars at Tacoma in Samad Taylor and Blake Hunt.

Because the Mariners and Padres share a spring training site at Peoria Sports Complex, what we have here is a recipe for frequent smiley reunions over the next few weeks.

Padres give former Mariner Ty France his latest shot at a fresh start

France was, of course, originally a Padre after the organization took him in the 34th round of the 2015 draft. He beat the odds just in making it to the majors in 2019, and he ended up getting a pathway to stardom when the Friars dealt him to Seattle in 2020.

France broke out in 2021 and was an All-Star in 2022, altogether posting a 127 OPS+ across those two seasons. His main claim to fame between those two seasons and 2023 was being human target practice for opposing pitchers, who plunked him 82 times.

The 31-year-old's career hasn't gone so well since. He was trending downward even before the M's traded him to the Cincinnati Reds in 2024, and he didn't pull out of it with the Minnesota Twins or Toronto Blue Jays in 2025. He has just a 90 OPS+ to show for the last two seasons.

All that said, last year wasn't a total loss for France. He won his first Gold Glove award for his work at first base, and he even got to see some action in the World Series in place of an injured George Springer.

Meanwhile, the Padres are a solid landing spot for France. With a strong enough spring, he can make a case for a platoon role opposite Gavin Sheets at first base, and maybe even Jake Cronenworth at second base. He's played 55 games there as a major leaguer, including 46 as a starter.

If things don't work out for France in Padres camp, he's sure to get another shot somewhere else. Beyond his Gold Glove credentials, he has enough success and experience in his background to be one of those "veteran presence" types that teams like to have around.

No matter what happens, he's sure to bump into plenty of old Mariners teammates around Peoria in the coming days and weeks. That in itself is a nice little bonus of having joined the Padres.