Padres, Ty France Have Mutual Interest in Reunion This Offseason: Reports

It's difficult to imagine what the 2026 San Diego Padres would have been without Ty France.

France, who joined the Padres on a minor league deal last offseason, far and away exceeded any expectations the organization could have possibly had.

The 32-year-old went from just hoping to make the roster out of spring training to carrying the offense throughout the year to being the everyday cleanup hitter into October.

France ended up finishing with 500 plate appearances in the regular season, hitting .295 with a career-high 21 home runs, 72 RBIs and a career-best .865 OPS.

On top of that, he played elite defense at first base and was the team's steadiest offensive player all year long.

“I don’t think anybody would have guessed that coming out of spring training,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said earlier in the season of France. “We knew Ty is a great baseball player. He’s been in the big leagues for a really long time. We knew he’s a solid player. He’s going to play great first base and give you really good at-bats. Did we see him hitting four-hole and leading our offense the way he is? I don’t think so.”

France, who earned just $2 million in 2026, is in line for a massive raise this offseason.

He would love for that to come from San Diego.

“I’ve said it from the beginning. This is where we wanted to be. I love this place. I love this city," France said to reporters in the clubhouse after Game 4. "At the end of the day, it’s not entirely up to me. There’s a business side of it. Hopefully we can have those conversations. That’s kind of where we’re at right now.”

While France doesn't know what the future holds, according to multiple reports, the Padres are also interested in a reunion.

Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported that "there is mutual interest in a reunion with first baseman Ty France, the team’s steadiest hitter."

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that "the Padres want to keep Ty France [and] France wants to stay."

However, Acee added: "The extent to which other teams have woken up regarding France could determine whether he remains with the Padres."

At this point, it's unclear what kind of budget the Padres would have for France, as they may have to fill nearly an entire starting rotation this offseason. If another team offers France a lucrative multi-year contract, it could be difficult for the Padres to match it.

At the same time, France has expressed his love for San Diego and his desire to remain with the Padres time and time again. It's possible he'd give them some sort of hometown discount — but how much of a discount remains to be seen.

"I’ve said it since spring training. This is where I want to be. My heart’s in San Diego." France said. “But I also understand it’s a business."

The 2026 Padres would have been an entirely different team without France. The 2027 team would be foolish to see what that looks like.