It’s that time of the year for MLB organizations. Most teams are looking for that impact trade or explosive free agent signing, which some contenders have already done by now. It is, however, the perfect time to secure some talented but flawed players on cheap minor league deals with invitations to camp. The San Diego Padres just completed that type of addition, adding outfielder Oscar Gonzalez.
Oscar Gonzalez was a breakout star in the 2022 postseason
If you watched the 2022 postseason, then you surely remember Gonzalez very well. He got his first shot at MLB baseball that season and returned a very solid 123 wRC+ with the Cleveland Guardians.
In the playoffs that year, he was responsible for gifting the Guards their ticket to the American League Division Series with a walk-off, 15th-inning home run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card round.
Then, in the Division Series against the New York Yankees, his walk-off single in Game 3 gave Cleveland a 2-1 lead. They couldn’t advance, but Gonzalez had some very good moments that year.
The Padres are certainly hoping he recaptures some of that magic and can become a depth option for the outfield corps. Gonzalez started losing some of that luster in 2023, when a 48 wRC+ made him lose his place on the Guardians roster.
The Padres are rolling the dice on Gonzalez
Gonzalez spent the 2024 campaign with the New York Yankees’ minor league affiliates, specifically Triple-A Scranton. He elected free agency, though, which paved the way for him to join the Padres for another chance.
Gonzalez has a plate discipline issue. Even in his successful 2022, he only walked in 3.9 percent of his plate appearances, so even if he homered 11 times in 91 games, he didn’t really get on base that much. That number fell to 2.8 percent in 2023, which resulted in him losing his roster spot.
He hit .294/.333/.469 for the RailRiders for a 106 wRC+, per MLB Trade Rumors, and is still 27. He could carve out a role with the Padres, who just lost David Peralta and Jurickson Profar via free agency.
