The Padres have instructed three veteran non-roster invitees that they’ve made the Opening Day roster. First baseman Yuli Gurriel (as per reporter Francys Romero), infielder Jose Iglesias (as per Jon Heyman of the New York Publish) and catcher Martin Maldonado (as per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune) will formally have their minor league contracts chosen as soon as the Padres clear three spots on their 40-man roster. Acee additionally reviews that Gavin Sheets can be a part of the lively roster, after Sheets’ contract was chosen earlier this week.
Iglesias and Gurriel are each Article XX(b) free brokers, and thus yesterday was the primary opt-out date on their minor league offers. It isn’t identified if Iglesias or Gurriel really enacted their opt-out clauses to pressure the Padres’ hand, however regardless, the 2 infielders will now be a part of San Diego’s roster when the season begins on Thursday.
Iglesias solely signed with the Padres on March 5, and the $3MM wage hooked up to his minors deal if he made the roster seemingly hinted that the group was all the time aiming to incorporate him in a backup infield function. Making the group formally locks in that wage, as Iglesias appears to have an encore to presumably essentially the most outstanding season of his 12 years within the Present.
Signed to a minors deal by the Mets final winter, Iglesias was known as as much as the group in late Might and proceeded to hit .337/.381/.448 over 291 plate appearances — far outpacing the profession .277/.319/.382 slash line he’d produced in his earlier 4043 PA. A .382 BABIP performed a hefty function in Iglesias’ profession yr, but BABIP wasn’t as essential an acronym as OMG, Iglesias’ tune that turned an instantaneous hit with New York followers and have become symbolic of the Mets’ turn-around season.
Gurriel will earn a $1.35MM wage for making the group because the 40-year-old prepares for his tenth huge league season. A winner of two World Collection rings throughout his time in Houston, Gurriel has hit solely .243/.297/.356 in 978 PA for the Astros, Marlins, and Royals during the last three seasons. He hit properly sufficient within the Padres’ camp, nevertheless, to work his manner into the bench combine.
Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth, and Luis Arraez are lined up San Diego’s beginning infielders, and the latter two gamers are left-handed hitters. That would present a gap for the right-handed hitting Iglesias and Gurriel to seize some at-bats when a southpaw is on the mound, plus Gurriel may additionally cut up some DH time with Sheets (one other lefty swinger).
The 38-year-old Maldonado additionally had an opt-out in his deal, and he’ll forego exercising that clause now that he has been tabbed because the Padres’ backup catcher behind Elias Diaz. Maldonado has lengthy been extremely regarded for his protection and skill to work with pitchers, at the same time as his offense has not often even been common over his 14-year profession. Maldonado has a .203/.278/.344 slash line over 3449 profession PA, and final season noticed him crater out by hitting .119/.174/.230 in 147 PA with the White Sox.
Clearly San Diego is prioritizing glovework over something Maldonado can or can’t produce on the plate. It may additionally be an indication of how Luis Campusano’s inventory has fallen, as the previous high prospect struggled by means of a tough 2024 season and now appears to be beginning 2025 within the minors.
