Padres quickly make fans forget about Martin Maldonado with latest signing

The news all Padres fans have been so desperately waiting for is finally here. After weeks of waiting and narrowly missing out on other key targets, the San Diego Padres have made their first major league signing of the 2025 offseason. Elias Díaz, who signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Padres last season, has just re-signed for another year. This time, the Padres will be giving Díaz $3.5 million in 2025, with the option to extend the contract into 2026.

With the news being made available to MLB insider AJ Cassavell earlier on Tuesday, Díaz looks to slot in as the Padres number one catcher, battling for the position with Luis Campusano and Martin Maldonado. As a very disappointing offseason for the Padres continues, the hope is this signing could open the floodgates for the type of additions Padres fans are much more accustomed to seeing out of AJ Preller.

Díaz looks to secure starting spot over Campusano and Maldonado

In what could have been described as a move that perfectly encapsulated the current offseason, the Padres signed 14-year veteran catcher Martin Maldonado to a minor league deal on January 16th. Practically out of options to replace the departed Kyle Higashioka and provide competition to Luis Campusano and Brett Sullivan, the Maldonado signing was one that Padres fans dreaded. Now, after bringing back Díaz, fans can be a little more optimistic about the team's situation behind the plate heading into 2025.

Díaz only played in 12 games for the Padres in 2024, putting up a .190/.292/.429 line in 21 at bats. The 10-year veteran and one time All-Star, who so happened to take home the MVP in his lone appearance, will be looking to return to the form that saw him win those honors two years ago.

With a career .251 batting average, Díaz has much better numbers than the other three catchers currently on San Diego's roster, and there is little question that he will be the Opening Day starter, barring another unlikely catcher signing. An injury riddled 2024 saw Díaz released by the Rockies towards the end of the 2024 season, but his .270 average in the 96 games before his release was surely a reason why the Padres looked to bring him back.

On top of providing much needed depth to a Padres roster that is desperately searching for players, Díaz can be an insightful veteran presence for Campusano, who the Padres seem to still have hope for. After being optioned to Triple-A at the end of the season and being left out of the postseason, Campusano will be looking to regain his spot in the lineup under the direction of Díaz.