The Padres have signed catcher Elías Díaz to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with a mutual option for 2026, marking their first big league free agent signing this winter.
Would I have preferred keeping Kyle Higashioka? Yes, but he ended up receiving double the salary each year from the Rangers, and we know San Diego is facing financial constraints, so this will have to suffice.
Díaz’s limited time in a Padre shirt last season (21 AB) raises the question of what he could achieve with more consistent playing time (similar to Higashioka). He has above-average defensive skills, so he should be able to bring them to the ballpark every day.
Yes, the Rockies no longer wanted him, but sometimes players perform when they have a chip on their shoulder (cough cough, Jurickson Profar) and want to prove they are still a starting calibre player in the majors.
The Padres have Martín Maldonado (minor league deal) to compete with Díaz and Luis Campusano for playing time, but they want the catching combination to be the one they signed today and hope will be the star offensive catcher.
Campusano, on the other hand, has yet to play 100 games in a season in San Diego and was unable to replicate his impressive (but limited) offensive season in 2023, when he recorded an.847 OPS.
While this is hardly a move that will thrill casual fans, it does show that the Padres have some money to spend. How much more?
Leave a Reply