On Sunday, the San Diego Padres reached a single-year deal with San Diego native Connor Joe. In addition, Joe is expected to share left field with veteran outfielder Jason Heyward, per The Athletic.
After losing their previous left fielder, Jurickson Profar, to the Atlanta Braves, the Padres plundered the free agent market to fortify their outfield. With these new pickups, the team plans to platoon these two substantial outfielders to fill the hole.
Connor Joe
Originally, the 32-year-old outfielder, Joe, was drafted 39th overall in the first round by the Pittsburgh Pirates out of the University of San Diego in 2014.
Joe made his major league debut for the San Fransisco Giants in 2019 where he appeared in eight games. He opted out of the 2020 Covid season but returned in 2021 to play two seasons with the Colorado Rockies and another two for the Pirates.
Joe posts a career average of .242 in his five seasons with 41 home runs and 141 RBI. The ever-versatile Joe saw multiple positions during his previous season with the Pirates, spending time on first base and the outfield and primarily batting third and seventh in the order.
Jason Heyward
While the terms of Heyward’s contract have yet to come to light, it is likely the terms of his contract are identical to Joe’s.
Heyward has seen much success in his 14-year major league career across four clubs. He posts a career average of .256 with 184 home runs and 718 RBI.
The 35-year-old lefty went 14th overall in the first round by the Braves in 2007. In his breakout 2010 season with the Braves, he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. Additionally, Heyward was a part of the 2016 Chicago Cubs team that would go on to win the World Series. After their victory, he stayed with the club for a few more years before his release after the 2022 season.
Last season, Heyward split his time between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros, who had their playoff run cut short by the Detroit Tigers. Heyward returns to the West Coast again to bring his talent to fortify the Padres’ outfield.
On the Horizon
While things have been quiet for the Friars, it seems General Manager AJ Preller is ready to make some moves. This comes after losing their bid for Roki Sasaki to their divisional rivals, the Dodgers.
After these two acquisitions, the Padres are only missing two players from their 40-man roster. Trade talks between multiple teams for the Padres hottest players are still happening but nothing has come of it yet..
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