The Padres introduced that they’ve chosen the contract of first baseman/outfielder Gavin Sheets. To make room on the 40-man roster, right-hander Joe Musgrove was transferred to the 60-day injured listing. Musgrove is recovering from Tommy John surgical procedure and can miss your complete 2025 season.
Sheets, 29 subsequent month, signed a minor league cope with the Padres over the winter. He had beforehand spent his whole profession with the White Sox however was non-tendered by that membership after the 2024 season. He had hit all through his minor league profession with Chicago and debuted within the majors with a very good .250/.324/.506 line in 2021. However he then hit .227/.291/.368 over the 2022 by way of 2024 seasons. Provided that he’s not a robust defender or baserunner, that manufacturing turned untenable.
In camp with the Friars, Sheets has had a monster exhibiting. He has stepped to the plate 49 occasions over 19 video games and hit six dwelling runs. It’s a small pattern measurement however he has an eye-popping line of .311/.367/.756.
Opening Day remains to be per week away. The truth that the Padres have added him to the roster right this moment suggests he doubtless had some sort of opt-out or upward mobility clause on his deal. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune studies that there was some sort of clause in his contract that gave him an opportunity to depart for one more membership. With these big numbers, the Padres didn’t need him to get away and have given him a roster spot right this moment.
Getting added to the 40-man roster doesn’t assure Sheets a spot on the lively roster. He nonetheless has one choice yr remaining and may subsequently be despatched to the minors as depth. Nonetheless, the Friars are searching for reasonably priced upgrades to their lineup.
After the 2024 season, they misplaced Jurickson Profar, Ha-Seong Kim, Kyle Higashioka, Donovan Solano and David Peralta to free company. That left them wanting a left fielder, an infielder, a catcher and a few strong position gamers.
However the price range in San Diego has been tight for some time. Final winter, that led to the Juan Soto commerce. That deal bolstered the pitching depth and introduced in Higashioka. Low-cost fliers on Profar, Solano and Peralta all labored out nicely, particularly so in Profar’s case.
This winter, the price range has been tight once more. Whereas the heavily-rumored Dylan Stop commerce hasn’t come to fruition, the membership has tried to patch their holes with out huge spending. They gave a modest $3.5MM deal to Elias Díaz to bolster the catching combine. Connor Joe and Jason Heyward bought a mixed $2MM to platoon in left. As for the infield, Xander Bogaerts goes to maneuver again to shortstop, liberating up second base for Jake Cronenworth and first base for Luis Arraez.
All that also leaves some room for guys within the designated hitter/bench bat combine. They’ve Tirso Ornelas, Eguy Rosario and Brandon Lockridge on the roster. Sheets was in camp as a non-roster invitee alongside vets like Jose Iglesias and Yuli Gurriel.
It would take a number of extra days for the entire image to grow to be clear. Gurriel and Iglesias even have opt-outs this weekend, in order that can be one thing to observe within the subsequent week or so. For now, the Padres have prevented Sheets from leaving and hope they’ve discovered one other diamond within the tough.
Photograph courtesy Allan Henry, Imagn Photos
