SAN DIEGO -- The Padres appear to have rounded out their offense, agreeing to a one-year deal with veteran righty bat Miguel Andujar on Tuesday, sources told MLB.com.
The club has not yet confirmed the deal, which is worth $4 million, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. Additionally, Andujar can receive up to $2 million in performance bonuses.
Andujar, who turns 31 in March, batted .318 with an .822 OPS last season with the A’s and Reds. But he missed over a month with an oblique strain and was limited to 94 games. Andujar spent time at first base, third base and left field, but seems likeliest to factor as a DH and a pinch-hitter in San Diego.
Andujar’s fit with the Padres
One of the biggest talking points from Saturday’s Padres FanFest was Gavin Sheets being “penciled in” as the team’s primary first baseman by new manager Craig Stammen. Sheets spent last year as the regular DH, and he played left field when the Padres found themselves in a pinch. He made only 11 starts at first.
That number is expected to go way up this season. And with Sheets at first base primarily, it opens the DH spot.
Enter Andujar.
He figures to start at DH against left-handed pitching. He could also platoon with Sheets at first base, with Sheets sitting against lefties. That would theoretically allow the Padres to pack another righty -- like, say, Luis Campusano -- into their lineup.
Still, as Stammen noted on Saturday, the DH spot will almost certainly be a revolving door -- and that’s true even with Andujar on board.
“It’s probably a spot that we’re going to keep open throughout the season, be able to give Manny [Machado] a day DH-ing, Xander [Bogaerts] a day DH-ing, Fernando [Tatis Jr.], [Ramón] Laureano, [Jackson] Merrill,” Stammen said. “I think it’s a strategic way to keep those guys a little fresher during the season.”
What to expect from Andujar
It’ll be interesting to see whether Andujar can work his way into starts against right-handed pitching. His .986 OPS against lefties last season was 227 points higher than his mark against righties. Ultimately, he might be vying with fellow newcomer Sung-Mun Song for the last available place in the starting lineup. (Against righties, that is. Andujar should start regularly against lefties.)
If (when?) Andujar comes off the bench, there will undoubtedly be opportunities for him to pinch-hit. He’s consistently thrived in that role, posting an .833 career OPS as a substitute.
Andujar’s numbers last season were gaudy. And, sure, they’re probably a bit skewed because of the favorable matchups he constantly received. But he also profiles well at Petco Park, where pull-happy, right-handed hitters are often rewarded.
Andujar doesn’t walk much, but he’s one of the best in the league at making contact. He boasts a bit of power, too, though it’s unlikely he’d ever regain the form that had him second to Shohei Ohtani in the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year race. He hit 27 home runs that season and didn’t get back to double figures until he hit 10 last season.
What’s next for the Padres?
Offensively, they might be set. They could stand to add another catcher to compete for the backup spot behind Freddy Fermin. Campusano and Blake Hunt are currently in the mix for that role.
But the signing of Andujar addressed the biggest priority on offense -- a first-base/DH-type bat. Now the Padres can turn their focus to starting pitching.
With Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove and Michael King, the front of the San Diego rotation looks fearsome enough. But its depth is questionable.
Randy Vásquez would seem to have an inside track to a rotation spot. JP Sears, Matt Waldron and non-roster invitees Triston McKenzie and Marco Gonzales are in the mix for the final spot.
But there are injury concerns with Musgrove and King, and the Padres will absolutely be looking to add another starter to the mix. Otherwise, after Tuesday’s move, they may be set.
Of course, with general manager A.J. Preller at the helm, a shakeup is possible at any moment -- and especially deep into spring. In each of the past four years, Preller has added a pivotal starting pitcher after the start of camp (Pivetta in 2025, Dylan Cease in ’24, Michael Wacha in ’23 and Sean Manaea in ’22).