Fred McGriff had a long career in professional baseball, blasting Home Runs everywhere he went.  One of those stops was in San Diego, where he was traded from Toronto before the 1991 Season.

The slugger played for San Diego for two-and-a-half years, and he did what he did as a Blue Jay, in that he was an offensive juggernaut.  An All-Star in 1992, McGriff led the National League in Home Runs (35), had 104 RBIs, and had an OPS of .950, a then-record for the "Crime Dog."

McGriff was traded to the Atlanta Braves in July of 1993, and as a Padre, McGriff secured 84 Home Runs with a .519 Slugging Percentage.  

The Oakland Athletics were the team of the early 70s, but they went into a cost-cutting mode in 1976, jettisoning their stars through various methods.  One of those players was Rollie Fingers, one of the most influential closers in baseball history and the owner of the most iconic mustaches in sports.

Fingers signed with San Diego after the aforementioned bicentennial year and remained a top closer.  A Padre for four years, Fingers was named the National League Rolaids Reliever of the Year in three of them, led the league in Saves twice, and compiled 108 Saves in total with San Diego.

Fingers was traded to St. Louis after the 1980 Season and was traded four days later to Milwaukee, where he won the Cy Young and closed off his career.  The Baseball Hall of Fame called his name in 1992.

Ozzie Smith would become one of the most dynamic Shortstops in history and an eventual Hall of Fame inductee with a St. Louis Cardinals cap on his plaque.  Many forget that his career began in San Diego, and realistically, he was not yet what he would become.

Smith debuted in the Majors with the Padres in 1978 and was the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year, batting .258 with 40 Stolen Bases.  This was the best offensive season for Smith as a Padre, but he quickly became an elite defender.  Smith won the Gold Glove in 1980 and 1981, leading the NL in Defensive bWAR in 1980 and was second in 1979.  

As good as Smith was, the Padres were considered about his bat and traded him to St. Louis for another Shortstop, Garry Templeton.  With all due respect to Templeton, Smith's post-trade career blew away Templeton, as Smith maintained his defense and developed his offense, which Padres management likely thought was impossible.  Smith only batted .221 with sub-.300 stats in OBP and Slugging; the main reason that the Hall of Famer is ranked so low.

Manny Machado was a star in Baltimore, and later the Dodgers, who acquired him for their 2018 playoff run.  The Padres changed their usual course, went after, and got Machado as a Free Agent for 2019, and as of this writing, he is still a Padre.

Machado had a solid debut year for San Diego, blasting 32 Home Runs, though his OPS was a little under .800.  His second year, the COVID-impaired 2020 Season, saw Machado finish third in MVP voting and gain his first Silver Slugger.

A trendy pick to win the World Series in 2021, the Padres imploded, though Machado again had a good year, returning to the All-Star Game with a 29 Home Run/106 RBI season with an OPS of .836.  San Diego would make the postseason in 2022, with Machado having a spectacular year, finishing second in MVP voting with a 32 HR/109 RBI year.  In 2023, Machado slipped a bit with 30 Home Runs and a .782 OPS, and the year after he had 29 Home Runs, 105 RBIs, and captured his second Silver Slugger as a Padre.

Machado enters 2025 as one of the top players in baseball.