When was the last time, before this winter, that you thought much about the San Diego Padres?

Go ahead, take your time.

Still thinking?

If you’re coming up empty, it is understandable. No baseball franchise in recent memory has commanded so little attention.

The Houston Astros have been very bad, but historic ineptitude, at least, is interesting. The Mets, with their occasional stars and curious finances, are reliable newsmakers. The Colorado Rockies, the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays have compelling performers, here and there.

The Padres have been almost aggressively bland. In 2005, they somehow won a division title but had more losses than victories, counting a three-game playoff sweep. The last three All-Star Games have included no appearances by a Padres player. Even the team’s uniforms, once so colorful and distinctive, have been scrubbed of their character: Most days the Padres wear navy and white, like the Yankees and the Detroit Tigers, the teams that soundly beat them in their only trips to the World Series.