The San Diego Padres have reinforced their outfield this winter after a relatively quiet offseason thus far.
Padres add two outfielders to short-term deals
Per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Tribune, the Padres inked former Houston Astros outfielder Jason Heyward and former Pittsburgh Pirates OF Connor Joe to a pair of one-year deals (h/t CBS Sports’ Dayn Perry).
Heyward will bring defensive rep & variation to the Padres
Heyward is a five-time Gold Glove Award winner. His history of defensive excellence will go a long way for the Padres as they look to beat their National League foes. He will also add a lefty bat to San Diego’s ranks.
In 2024, the former World Series champion hit .211 with 10 home runs and 37 RBIs across 87 games played. He was on pace for 18 homers and nearly 69 RBIs had he played in all 162 games. Thus, he’ll be a serviceable depth option for the Padres to deploy as fitting.
Joe adds a steady glove to the Padres’ lineup
As for Joe, the 32-year-old gives San Diego a versatile utility option that can play right and left field as well as first base. He posted a bragworthy .998 fielding percentage in 79 games at the three slot and a .968 percentage for his overall work in the outfield.
Joe is a serviceable slugger who owns a .242 batting average for his career. He can give the Padres a valued bat at the end of their order moving forward.
