Padres give former Rangers prospect one more chance to revive his career

The Padres did not uncover their next superstar in the middle of July, nor a guy we might see at the major league level immediately. They signed Dustin Harris to a minor-league contract.

San Diego added him shortly after the Chicago White Sox released him, sending the former Texas Rangers prospect to Triple-A El Paso. It’s another affordable signing, requires no spot on the 40-man roster and gives them another outfielder with enough athleticism and prospect pedigree to remain somewhat interesting.

Harris is 27 and has already moved between the Rangers, White Sox and Astros without really establishing himself in the majors. He appeared in 17 big-league games between Chicago and Houston this season, hitting .233 with a .333 on-base percentage and a .302 slugging percentage. He didn’t hit for much power, but he stole four bases and at least showed he can contribute something beyond being a fill-in in the batter’s box. 

Dustin Harris gives the Padres another versatile outfield option

In some organizations, that line may not demand a promotion. However, the Padres have lacked outfield depth in the organization this season, so you can’t rule it out. 

Harris is a more interesting name than the average one drifting through the minor-league transaction log. He was selected by The Athletics in the 11th round of the 2019 MLB Draft before being traded to Texas in a package for Mike Minor. Harris eventually became one of the better prospects in the Rangers’ system.

Harris offered little power, plenty of speed and enough defensive flexibility to move around the outfield. He stole 35 bases for Triple-A Round Rock in 2024 and owns a career .276/.367/.420 slash line.

The Padres know better than most teams how quickly the bottom of a roster can become important. Minor-league signings are easy to ignore until another outfielder goes down. Then the player stashed in Triple-A suddenly gets the call. 

Harris gives San Diego another left-handed bat who can run and cover multiple outfield spots. He also has minor-league options remaining, which gives the Padres some flexibility if they eventually decide to add him to the 40-man roster.

The limitation is also obvious. Since Harris isn’t one to make loud contact, speed and patience are going to be what keeps him afloat. Still, major-league pitchers eventually force hitters to prove they can punish mistakes. And Harris has not done that yet.

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