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San Diego Padres: Eleven Minor Leaguers Become Free Agents

By Nick Stevens |
SAN DIEGO, CA - AUGUST 18: Dusty Coleman #9 of the San Diego Padres, right, is congratulated by Luis Perdomo #61 after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at PETCO Park on August 18, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - AUGUST 18: Dusty Coleman #9 of the San Diego Padres, right, is congratulated by Luis Perdomo #61 after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at PETCO Park on August 18, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

The San Diego Padres had 11 minor league players officially file for free agency.

While the minor league free agency process is nowhere near the show that major league free agency is, the San Diego Padres still had 11 players elect free agency this offseason, many of them veteran depth pieces who played for the AAA El Paso Chihuahuas in 2018. Per Baseball America’s complete list, 520 minor league players in all are now free to sign with any team they desire.

Below is the complete list of now-former Padres and a brief recap of their 2018 performance.

  • Catcher Brett Nicholas: San Diego traded for Nicholas in early April from Texas. He spent the entire season with El Paso. In 117 games, Nicholas hit .291 with 16 home runs, 30 doubles, and a .353 on-base percentage. The 30-year-old backstop has 36 games of major league experience (all with Texas) and owns a career .252 average.
  • IF River Stevens: Injuries once again limited Stevens in 2018, appearing in 55 games with El Paso, San Antonio, and the Arizona League. Despite an impressive .347 OBP and 22/20 K/BB ratio, Stevens had just seven extra-base hits in 170 at-bats, four of them were home runs. He hit .265 and swiped five bags.
  • Third baseman Diego Goris: Goris had a decent season in El Paso, splitting the majority of his time between first and third base. Hitting .265 with a .299 OBP, Goris logged seven home runs and 20 doubles in 89 games for the Chihuahuas. He even pitched in four games, giving up seven earned runs in three innings.
  • IF Dusty Coleman: The 31-year-old infielder struggled in El Paso this year, hitting just .202 in 103 games. He struck out 146 times and walked only 23 times, not helping his .267 OBP. His 2018 numbers in AAA were nearly identical to his 2017 numbers at the same level.
  • Outfielder Forrestt Allday: Signed as a minor league FA last year, Allday split his time between San Antonio and El Paso, slashing .270/.366/.360 with 21 doubles, three triples, and four home runs. Allday wouldn’t be a bad option to look at bringing back as a minor league depth option.
  • IF/OF Allen Craig: The former All-Star and World Series champion spent 2018 attempting to show the rest of league he still had a little bit left in the tank and appears to have succeeded in doing so. Craig hit .293 with 13 home runs and 18 doubles in 92 games for El Paso. Playing mostly first base, Craig did log a handful of innings in the outfield. He could find a home on a rebuilding team who needs a bat off the bench.

    • OF

    Shane Peterson

    : Peterson had a great year with El Paso, hitting .286 and recording 31 doubles and 11 home runs. Despite striking out 113 times, the most since 2014, Peterson reached base in 34% of his at-bats and logged 122 hits in total.

    More from Friars on Base

    Minor league pitching free agents.

    • RHP Jonathan Aro: Aro had a solid season out of the El Paso bullpen, posting a 3.68 ERA in 38 appearances (44 IP). He struck out 36, walked 19, and limited opponents to three home runs in a home run prone park. He gave up just one earned run over his last 10 outings of the season.
    • RHP Erik Johnson: The 6’3″ former second-round pick of the White Sox missed the entire 2017 season but came back for a decent 2018 campaign. Pitching for both San Antonio and El Paso, Johnson struck out 45 hitters in 40 innings and ended the year with a 3.98 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. Unfortunately, he gave up seven home runs, including three in nine innings in AAA.
    • RHP Seth Simmons: Splitting his time as a reliever and starter, Simmons went 2-2 with a 3.81 ERA between AA and AAA. In 54 innings of work, Simmons walked 24 and struck out just 36 hitters. He also gave up 11 home runs.
    • RHP Elias Torres: Did not play in 2018.

    Next. Padres Offseason Target: LHP Yusei Kikuchi. dark

    Anyone on this list you would bring back to provide depth in the minors?

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