Padres News: 2021 trade acquisition lands with Pirates, SD makes minor-league signing

The vast majority of the San Diego Padres' offseason so far has consisted of rumors, rumors, and more rumors. The club has been dangling some of their most talented stars in trade talks while simultaneously adding to their roster where fits make sense.

On Tuesday, a slew of moves came down the pipeline, with two players joining the organization and an old friend signing a big-league contract with an NL Central club. The Padres added to their catching depth in the form of a reunion with Elias Diaz, who will likely be their primary option behind the plate in 2025, but the news didn't stop there.

Padres News: 2021 trade acquisition lands with Pirates

In a move that went down nearly four years ago (already!), the Padres swung a trade to acquire long-time Pirates utilityman Adam Frazier. He, of course, only wound up spending the second half of the 2021 campaign in San Diego, so you're forgiven if you have a hard time remembering him on the Padres.

In 57 games for the Padres, Frazier, an All-Star earlier that season, hit .267 with a .662 OPS and 86 OPS+, which combined to make him a well below-average acquisition. He was hardly worth the three-player package the Padres sent to Pittsburgh, which included outfielder Jack Suwinski, who's still suiting up for the Pirates at the big-league level.

On Tuesday, Frazier signed a one-year, $1.525 million contract to return to Pittsburgh where his career began. His first go-round on the Pirates is what established him as a pesky, contact-oriented hitter who had the defensive chops to play all over the diamond. This past season, he put together easily the worst offensive showing of his nine-year career as a member of the Kansas City Royals.

Padres announce signing of their own

Diaz is not the only player the Padres added to the mix on Tuesday, as the club also inked outfielder Forrest Wall to a minor league contract. It's not yet clear if the 29-year-old will be in big league camp with the Padres, but his recent MLB experience would suggest that he'll get a legit shot to earn a roster spot.

Wall is a light-hitting but lightning quick player who hasn't been used as much more than a defensive replacement and/or pinch runner at the game's highest level. To date, he's got one home run and three RBI across a total of 31 games, hitting .311 with an .802 OPS and nine stolen bases in 13 attempts.

While Wall hasn't had many chances to shown what he's got in the big leagues, he's developed a reputation as a high on-base player who can steal bases with the best of them. He's only two years removed from going 52-for-60 in the stolen base department with the Braves' Triple-A affiliate.

This past season in the minor leagues, he recorded six home runs with 24 RBI across 78 games. In that time, he went 20-for-25 in steals while posting a .772 OPS. He's not a major offensive threat, but he could be a serviceable high-minors option for the Padres and could even sneak his way onto the big league roster at some point.