The San Diego Padres are bringing back Tyler Wade for the 2025 MLB season.
Padres resign veteran Swiss army knife after impactful 2024 outing
Jerry Sanders of The San Diego Tribune reported that Wade and the Padres came to terms on a one-year, $900,000 deal for next season with a club option for 2026. Sanders contextualized the effect that the 30-year-old had on the team last season and how that may have contributed to his latest signing:
“He quickly became a clubhouse favorite, was 8-for-9 on stolen base attempts as the team’s best speed option off the bench and was the team’s best bunter,” Sanders wrote.
“Wade hit just .217/.285/.239 in his first season in San Diego, but a penchant for big hits and the ability to get the bat on the ball outweighed the pure production as a bench option the team deemed worthy of carrying into the 2025 season.”
Wade made his mark across several positions for Padres last season
Wade saw 156 plate appearances in 2024. Across 138 at bats, the utility man scored 28 runs and drove in eight RBIs behind a .524 OPS. The California native also appeared at seven positions on defense last season.
Predominantly having manned third base, shortstop, and second base, Wade committed only three errors on the entire campaign. Contrastingly, the eight-year veteran notched 48 putouts, 53 assists, and five double plays turned.
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Wade was eligible for arbitration this offseason. He’ll now rejoin a stacked Padres roster looking to triumph over their rivals, the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, and the rest of the field en route to a Fall Classic crown in 2025.
