Padres sign super-utility depth piece who could steal a roster spot in camp

If there’s one thing A.J. Preller has never been shy about, it’s stockpiling options on the margins of the roster. The Padres’ stars are locked in, the payroll picture is complicated, and the path to impact upgrades isn’t always straightforward. That makes these smaller moves matter more than people want to admit. Finding one undervalued role player who can move around the diamond, hit lefties, and hold a game together in the sixth or seventh inning can be the difference between stealing a win in April and chasing one in September.

That’s the lens to use with San Diego’s latest addition. The Padres have brought in veteran infielder Pablo Reyes on a minor-league deal, per Matt Eddy of Baseball America, a move that should come with an invite to big league camp. On paper, it’s a depth signing. In reality, it’s a classic “give him 40 at-bats in Arizona and see if he forces the issue” kind of flyer. With the bench picture far from settled behind the core of Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth and Gavin Sheets, Reyes walks in as the kind of super-utility piece who can absolutely make life interesting for the front office by the end of March.

Padres sign Pablo Reyes who could shake up the infield depth chart

Reyes, 32, isn’t going to light up the back of a baseball card, but he’s carved out seven seasons of big league service as a do-everything glue guy. Across 259 games and just over 600 plate appearances, he’s posted a .245/.305/.342 line with a little bit of speed mixed in. The part that should perk up Padres fans who have watched this team struggle against tough left-handers: Reyes has held his own in the platoon game, putting up a noticeably stronger slash line when he has the platoon advantage.

His 2025 journey also explains why the Padres see some upside here. Reyes cracked the Yankees’ Opening Day roster last year after signing a minor-league deal, but never really got a chance to get into a rhythm, appearing in just 25 games and taking only 34 plate appearances before being designated for assignment in June. Once he landed with the Mets, his bat woke up at Triple-A Syracuse, where he slashed .289/.385/.484 and showed the kind of on-base ability and occasional thump that can carry over in the right role. 

On the Padres’ depth chart, Reyes enters a crowded but unsettled picture. Mason McCoy, Will Wagner, Tirso Ornelas, and Bryce Johnson are already on the 40-man and figure to be in the mix for bench roles, with minor-league options giving the front office some flexibility. Reyes doesn’t have that luxury — if he wins a job, he’d have to stick, because he’s out of options. 

That might sound like a small detail in November, but by the end of camp, it could be a real tiebreaker. If he keeps hitting like he did in Syracuse and shows his usual defensive versatility, this “quiet” minor-league deal has every chance to turn into one of those spring surprises that Padres fans are still talking about when the games start to really count.