June 4th, 2016, is a special day for the Friar Faithful. It's the day the Padres were reborn.
Five years ago, the Padres traded away an All-Star pitcher and World Series champion for a 17-year-old who'd never played a professional baseball game on American soil.
By now you probably know the pitcher was James Shields. The teenager was Fernando Tatis Jr., making it arguably one of the most lopsided deals in the history of Major League Baseball.
What you probably don't know is why they made the trade, because there's a whole lot more to it than you think. So, to mark the 5th anniversary of the deal that altered the course of two franchises, the OnFriar Podcast dove deep to get the real story of how the trade went down.
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
We talk to the scout who oversaw the evaluation process and learn why they locked in on Tatis, even though he didn't start as the top prospect on their list (as crazy as that sounds today there's actually very good reason for it).
We also talk to a man who knew Tatis in the Dominican Republic as a 15-year-old and discover how he was almost destined to become the undisputed face of the game.
Local
And, of course, you'll hear from Padres general manager A.J. Preller and El Nino himself. Friar Faithful, we hope you enjoy learning how Bebo landed in San Diego, and why y'all had a big hand in him wanting to be here long enough to have a statue built.
LISTEN: With NBC 7 San Diego's Darnay Tripp and Derek Togerson behind the mic, On Friar will cover all things San Diego Padres. Interviews, analysis, behind-the-scenes...the ups, downs, and everything in between. Tap here to find On Friar wherever you listen to podcasts.
