The San Diego Padres feature one of the best offenses in Major League Baseball. However, that didn’t stop them from adding a two-time defending batting champion. And believe it or not, A.J. Preller is not done adding. The Padres selected the contract of veteran infielder Donovan Solano prior to Sunday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/NjWU9oHrTX
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 5, 2024
Solano will take the roster spot of infielder Eguy Rosario, whom San Diego optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move. While Solano can play multiple infield positions, he is a bat-first player in his career. Due to the crowded infield and newly claimed DH spot, the Padres will likely use Solano as a bench bat and spot starter against southpaws.
While the Padres don’t necessarily need offensive help, adding Solano inexpensively improves the team’s depth and raises the team’s floor. October remains far away, but this under-the-radar move could prove crucial for the 2024 Padres.
San Diego Padres Add Donovan Solano to Active Roster
Solano joins the major league club after signing a minor-league deal around three weeks ago. The Colombian began his career as a light-hitting infielder with the Miami Marlins but reinvented himself in his thirties.
After a two-year absence from the majors, Solano broke out with the San Francisco Giants at 31 in 2019. He hit .330/.360/.456 in 81 games with solid walk and strikeout ratios. In the next two seasons, Solano continued to produce offensively (he won a Silver Slugger in 2020) while appearing all over the infield diamond.
While Solano’s average and slugging decreased over the three seasons, he improved his walk rate and struck out even less. These skills should remain as players age, and thus, they have made Solano more attractive to teams in recent years.
Donovan Solano professional hitter pic.twitter.com/O0tP27swPT
— Giannis Auntiegotapoodle (@TooMuchMortons_) May 3, 2024
After signing separate one-year deals, the veteran split the past two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and Minnesota Twins. While Solano struggled a bit with the Reds likely due to injury, he rebounded last season with the Twins. In 134 games, he produced a 111 OPS+ in 134 games while making solid contact.
In the matter of a weekend, San Diego replaced two inexperienced youngsters with established veterans. Adding Solano will give the Padres great insurance in case an infielder gets hurt (or continues struggling). While he won’t help San Diego’s run prevention, the 36-year-old should fortify an already strong unit that could carry the Padres into October.
Main Photo Credits: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
