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Jurickson Profar isn't the only bargain pickup having an impact on the Padres in 2024

Donnie Barrels has come up big for the Friars in 2024.
Drew Koch
Drew Koch

Friars On Base

San Diego Padres infielder Donovan Solano / Gene Wang/GettyImages

The San Diego Padres and their fanbase have been quite impressed by Jurickson Profar's performance this season. Heading into spring training, the Friars had an outfield of Fernando Tatis Jr. and a couple of also-rans. Jackson Merrill was an unproven rookie who had little to no experience in the outfield and Jose Azocar was San Diego's only other option.

Thankfully, however, president of baseball operations AJ Preller saw the need for another outfielder and signed Profar to a bargain contract. The veteran inked a one-year, $1 million deal and has put up All-Star numbers this season. Profar is hitting .305/.395/.490 with a 150 OPS+ and is likely to shatter his career-best 20 home runs and 77 RBI this season.

Jurickson Profar isn't the only bargain pickup having an impact on the Padres in 2024

Profar may be the best bargain in baseball this season outside of pre-arbitration eligible performers like Gunnar Henderson and Elly De La Cruz. But Preller made another low-cost addition that's also paying off.

Donovan Solano, who hit the game-winning single on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, is having a tremendous impact on this Padres team.

Even with Xander Bogaerts back from his stint on the injured list, Solano is still finding ways to impact the game. In 56 games this season, the veteran infielder is hitting .299/.356/.401 with a 115 OPS+. Solano has a great knowledge of the strike zone and rarely swings at pitches off the plate. While he's not necessarily living up to his nickname with a 2.8% barrel rate, Donnie Barrels is helping put the Padres in position to win ball games.

Much like fellow Padres infielder Luis Arrárez, Solano is contact-over-power, can play all over the diamond, and brings a veteran presence into the clubhouse. While Solano was little more than a depth piece after signing a minor-league deal earlier this spring, he's proving to be yet another bargain that Preller loves to seek out. Solano will be a necessary piece over the second half of the season as the Padres try to chase down the Dodgers in the NL West.

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Drew Koch

Drew Koch

Drew Koch has been an MLB Staff Writer since January 2024 and part of the FanSided Network since June 2018. Drew's contributions have been published on Blog Red Machine, Friars on Base, BoSox Injection, Lombardi Avenue, Wildcat Blue Nation, Motor City Bengals, and many other sites within the FanSided Network. When he's not cheering wildly for the Cincinnati Reds or the Kentucky Wildcats, Drew enjoys fishing, golfing, playing cribbage and other card games, listening to country and classical music, and spending time with his family and friends.