Padres release outfielder who decides to pursue opportunity in Japan

The Padres are starting to make room for Brandon Lockridge at left field. After trading Connor Joe recently, San Diego has released Oscar Gonzalez after playing in 21 MLB games this season.

Gonzalez, just hours after being cut by the Padres, signed with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. After Gonzalez signed with San Diego to a minor league contract, Gonzalez logged 61 plate appearances in the regular season, batting .220 with one double, four RBIs, and a 37 OPS+.

Oscar Gonzalez leaves MLB after short stint with San Diego Padres

Gonzalez was among a crop of surprise players who succeeded in spring training, batting .400 across 21 contests with seven doubles, one triple, seven runs, and a .995 OPS. He spent time with Triple-A El Paso to begin the year, clipping a .333 batting average in a dozen games with five home runs and 16 RBIs.

The 27-year-old outfielder spent two season with the Cleveland Guardians from 2022-23 before missing out on any MLB time in 2024. With Gonzalez's departure though, this could start making the decision easier to play Lockridge more often. One of the stronger runners and fielders on San Diego's roster, the front office appears to be sold on Lockridge being the next guy to permanently man left field this season, especially with Jason Heyward continuing to struggle.

It was a short stint in San Diego for Gonzalez, but he performed well early on to apply pressure to the rest of the depth chart in the outfield. Friars fans wish him well overseas. Hopefully, he will play much more often on the biggest stage than he did in Major League Baseball.