Sources: Padres' rotation to add Wacha

Right-hander Michael Wacha has agreed in principle to a contract with the San Diego Padres, according to two people with knowledge of the deal.

The contract was believed to be for multiple years.

Wacha, 31, was 11-2 with a 3.32 ERA in 23 starts for the Boston Red Sox last year. He spent his first seven MLB seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and was selected MVP of the 2013 NL Championship Series as a rookie. He's also pitched for the New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays.

Overall, Wacha, a 2015 All-Star when he went 17-7 for the Cardinals, is 74-50 with a 4.05 ERA over 225 games (204 starts).

Wacha will join a rotation that includes Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, Blake Snell, Nick Martinez and Seth Lugo.

In Peoria, Arizona, suspended San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. went through outfield drills Tuesday alongside Juan Soto. Manager Bob Melvin said Soto will move from right field to left field, where he started his career with Washington in 2018. That presumably means Tatis, an All-Star at shortstop in 2021, will play right field when his 80-game drug suspension ends April 20.

The Padres haven't committed to Tatis in right, but that makes the most sense since he has a strong arm and center fielder Trent Grisham is coming off his second Gold Glove Award in three seasons.

Tatis is a full participant in spring training after surgery on his troublesome left shoulder in early September, not quite a month after being suspended following a positive test for a performance-enhancing drug. Tatis made 16 starts in right field and seven starts in center field in 2021, when the Padres temporarily moved him from shortstop after he injured his shoulder.

Tatis missed all of 2022. He was on the cusp of returning from left wrist surgery when he was suspended.

Xander Bogaerts will play shortstop after signing a $280 million, 11-year deal in December. That pushes Kim Ha-seong to second base and Jake Cronenworth to first. BURNES IN ARBITRATION >> Two-time All-Star Corbin Burnes and the Milwaukee Brewers went to salary arbitration on Tuesday with the sides $740,000 apart.

Burnes asked for a raise from $6.55 million to $10.75 million and the Brewers argued for $10.01 million during a hearing. A decision is expected today.

The 28-year-old righthander was 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA in 2022 and had a career-best 33 starts. He led the NL with 243 strikeouts, second in the big leagues behind the New York Yankees' Gerrit Cole at 257.

Burnes won the 2021 NL Cy Young Award after leading the major leagues with a 2.43 ERA and going 11-5.