Eric Patterson closing in on the 5th outfield spot

The San Diego Padres brought in Eric Patterson this off-season to compete for the 5th outfield spot and he has been ripping it up in spring ball. He is currently leading the team in hits(9), doubles (5), and is one of the leaders with a .409 batting average. He has the versatility to play left field, center field and second base and he is close to securing a spot on the opening day roster with his great play this  spring.

Patterson was brought in from the Boston Red Sox as part of the Adrian Gonzales trade and this is his 4th major league team since coming into the league in 2007, already playing for the Cubs, A’s and Red Sox. He is a career .224 hitter with 8 homeruns and 27 stolen bases in his 179 games.

He adds a lot of speed and versatility off of the bench and can be used in pinch running roles late in the game. He definitely was a good “throw-in” as part of the A-Gon deal and we can see immediate action out of him.