As the San Diego Padres prepare for the Craig Stammen era, they've scoured all corners of free agency for talent. In their latest move, San Diego has added another outfielder to the mix.
The Padres have signed Alex Verdugo to a minor league contract, via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The financial terms of the contract have not yet bene revealed, but the outfielder is set to report to minor league camp, which could make his path back to the majors trickier.
Verdugo was expected to be the crown jewel of the Boston Red Sox's Mookie Betts trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he lasted four years with the franchise before being traded to the New York Yankees; ironically enough. That stint lasted just one season, before Verdugo spent the 2025 campaign with the Atlanta Braves.
Through his entire nine-year MLB career, Verdugo has hit .270 with 70 home runs, 328 RBIs and 23 stolen bases. But it has been a while that the outfielder has been a true difference maker. He struggled mightily over his 56 games with the Braves, hitting .239 with no home runs and 12 RBIs.
On a minor league deal though, the Padres will roll the dice. Verdugo has shown flashes of brilliance in the past, and he is capable of playing all three outfield positions. If San Diego is bitten hard by the injury bug, Verdugo could theoretically be an option.
But he still has a lot to prove before another major league opportunity comes. At least now though, Verdugo knows where his journey back to MLB at-bats begins.
