Padres Choose Donovan Solano

The Padres introduced this afternoon that they’ve chosen the contract of infielder Donovan Solano. Infielder Eguy Rosario was optioned to Triple-A within the corresponding transfer, and San Diego’s 40-man roster now stands at 40.

Solano, 36, is a veteran of ten MLB seasons who first made his debut again in 2012. He struggled to hit on the large league stage earlier in his profession, with a .257/.306/.331 slash line in 370 video games from 2012 to 2016, and didn’t seem in any respect on the main league stage in 2017 or 2018. Since resurfacing with the Giants again in 2019, nonetheless, Solano has emerged as one of many extra underrated utility hitters within the recreation lately. Since returning to the massive leagues in 2019, Solano has slashed a formidable .296/.355/.413 (112 wRC+) with no single below-average offensive season throughout that timeframe. He’s been much more efficient towards southpaws, boasting a 119 wRC+ and only a 17.2% strikeout fee towards lefty pitchers over the previous 5 years.

On high of that robust work on the plate, Solano has supplied appreciable positional flexibility. He’s appeared in any respect 4 infield spots all through his profession, and whereas the veteran final appeared in a recreation at shortstop again in 2021 and has primarily performed first base lately, he’s nonetheless greater than able to overlaying each second and third base as wanted with Outs Above Common grading him as a scratch to barely beneath common defender at each positions in every of the final three seasons.

The addition of Solano to the membership’s positional combine provides one more high quality infielder to a roster deep in infield expertise. With former infielders Jurickson Profar, Jackson Merrill, and Fernando Tatis Jr. now enjoying the outfield on a full-time foundation in San Diego, the Solano figures to affix the newly-acquired Luis Arraez in taking begins at first, second, and third base when essential to again up common infielders Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Ha-Seong Kim, and Jake Cronenworth. Arraez figures to get the lion’s share of enjoying time at DH, although Solano figures to behave as a strong right-handed complement to each he and Cronenworth to supply supervisor Mike Shildt with a bit of additional flexibility and safety towards accidents.

Making room for Solano’s addition to the lively roster is Rosario. The 24-year-old made his MLB debut again in 2022 with the Padres and has typically impressed in an up-and-down position over the previous three seasons, however his most up-to-date stint within the majors was maybe essentially the most spectacular of all. In 52 journeys to the plate that got here largely by means of platooning with Tyler Wade at third base whereas Machado recovered from offseason surgical procedure earlier this 12 months, Rosario hit a implausible .250/.294/.542 (141 wRC+) with a whopping eight further base hits, together with three house runs.

That spectacular work on the plate mixed with Rosario’s potential to play each second and third base in addition to shortstop determine to make him a number one candidate to return to the majors in San Diego ought to an damage require the membership to dip into its depth choices. Till then, Rosario will return to the Triple-A stage the place he’s slashed a strong .282/.363/.486 over the previous two seasons.