The San Diego Padres have lost a veteran infielder/outfielder to free agency.
Nick Solak , who was designated for assignment by the Padres earlier this week , cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A El Paso. However, he rejected the assignment, instead choosing to enter free agency.
Solak, 31, joined the Padres on a minor league deal this offseason. He opened the year in Triple-A, where he played in 54 games, slashing .333/.412/.512 with nine home runs, 40 runs batted in and an OPS of .924. He had just 26 strikeouts to 22 walks.
Solak finally got promoted to the big league roster when Miguel Andujar went on the injured list.
However, he appeared in just four games during that time, going 1-for-10 with one run batted in and one walk. He had zero strikeouts.
Solak will now test his luck in free agency, likely looking for a team who could give him an extended look at the MLB level. He hasn't received that extended look in MLB since 2022 when he was with the Texas Rangers .
Solak was initially drafted by the New York Yankees in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft.
He was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays ahead of the 2018 season, and then again to the Rangers ahead of the 2019 trade deadline.
Solak debuted with Texas in 2019, appearing in 33 games and sporting an OPS of .884.
He then played in 58 games in the 60-game 2020 season and 127 games in 2021. He was then optioned after 35 games in 2022, and has struggled to get back to MLB since.
Solak finished his Rangers tenure hitting .252 with 21 home runs, 93 RBIs and an OPS of .700. He's bounced around the league since leaving Texas.
Since 2023, Solak has spent time with the Cincinnati Reds , Seattle Mariners , Chicago White Sox , Atlanta Braves , Detroit Tigers , Pittsburgh Pirates and Padres organizations.
He's appeared in just 10 MLB games in that time, going 2-for-18 (.111).
Solak brings positional versatility, having played at second base, first base, third base, left field and center field in his career. However, he's a below average defender, which is why San Diego had him play just two innings in the field while mostly acting as the team's designated hitter.
Solak will likely find another team to sign him to a minor league deal, where he'll work toward an MLB call up.
At 31 years old, he still has time to get back to being a consistent contributor at the MLB level.
It just won't be with the Padres.
Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X/Twitter for the latest news.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/padres/onsi as Padres Veteran Elects to Leave Organization, Head to Free Agency .
