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Padres Designate Veteran Outfielder For Assignment As They Try To Find More Offense
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- Padres Designate Veteran Outfielder For Assignment As They Try To Find More Offense
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The San Diego Padres announced that they've designated outfielder Bryce Johnson for assignment, with the move reported by AJ Eustace and Connor Byrne of MLBTradeRumors.com as they try to reconfigure their roster to find more offense from their younger players.
Johnson has been with the Padres for a while, so this move was somewhat surprising. He was acquired by the Padres from the San Francisco Giants as he signed a minor league deal prior to the 2024 season.
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His slash line was low, though, so he wound up starting last year with the Pittsburgh Pirates , but the Padres brought him back in a mid-April trade for catcher Brett Sullivan last year, according to the writers.
Johnson has always been known as an excellent defensive outfielder, and he gave the Padres some surprising offensive production last year with a slash line of .342/.383/.434.
This season has been a very different story, however. Johnson is one of many padres players who is slumping badly, with a slash line of .178/.229/.222 and a very high strikeout rate of 36.7 percent.
He's made only 12 starts this season, but Johnson has seen action in a total of 32 games, mostly as a defensive replacement. The Padres just lost outfielder Ramon Laureano for the season to a hip injury, and they also released bench player Nick Castellanos last week.
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They're currently trying to get more offense from younger players like Samad Taylor and Jase Bowen, both of whom have recently been called up from the minors. They have Bowen and Taylor playing small ball so far, and it's energized the team and given the Padres some badly needed offense.
The 30-year old Johnson will now be in DFA limbo, according to the writers, for up to a week. The Padres have five days to find a possible trade partner for Johnson, which is a viable option given his defense, and they may find a team willing to gamble on the outfielder finding his offense. Johnson also makes just $850K, which makes him even more attractive as a minor roster addition.
The Padres are currently using Fernando Tatís, Jr., Jackson Merrill , and Gavin sheets as their outfielders. Sheets has been productive as a home run hitter who's come through in the clutch, while Tatis has turned into a leadoff hitter who provides a different kind of production that hasn't included power so far. Merrill, meanwhile, is slumping badly, and the Padres are still hoping he can break out.
