Padres agree to contract with Wade, non-tender four others
SAN DIEGO — The Padres reshuffled their roster ahead of Friday’s deadline to tender contracts to players.
Most notably, the club agreed to a one-year contract with utilityman Tyler Wade — a deal that includes a team option for the 2026 season.
Additionally, the Padres did not tender contracts to four players — right-handers Logan Gillaspie and Luis Patiño, outfielder Bryce Johnson and shortstop Mason McCoy. All four are now free agents.
Here’s what it all means:
Six Padres still up for arbitration
With Friday’s moves, the Padres’ roster sits at 33 players. Outside of those four non-tenders, they extended contracts to all of their remaining players.
At the start of the day, eight players on the San Diego roster were arbitration eligible. That number included Patiño (now a free agent) and Wade (who agreed to a deal).
Luis Arraez, Dylan Cease and Michael King are entering their final year of arbitration eligibility before they’re set to become free agents next winter.
• Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon and Luis Campusano have multiple years of team control remaining after their arbitration eligibility this winter.
The Padres will now work with those six players to settle on a salary for the 2025 season. If they can’t agree, the salary will be decided through arbitration.
In 10 previous offseasons under general manager A.J. Preller, it’s never gotten that far. The Padres haven’t seen a case go to arbitration since Andrew Cashner in 2014.
Wade fills a familiar role on a team-friendly deal
In his first season with the Padres, Wade did a little bit of everything. He played every outfield position and every infield position except first base. Wade found a niche as a pinch-runner, and he saw heightened playing time early in the season when right elbow surgery relegated Manny Machado to a DH role, then again late in the year when Ha-Seong Kim missed the final few weeks with a right shoulder injury.
In parts of 90 games, Wade batted .217. The Padres could use a bit more production at the plate, but they’re otherwise going to be asking for more of the same from Wade in 2025. For all intents and purposes, he’s their 26th man — a respected clubhouse presence capable of filling in just about anywhere.
Additionally, Wade was slated to become a free agent after the 2025 season. By signing him to a deal with a 2026 team option, the Padres would be able to bring him back affordably if he performs in ’25.
The Padres could still bring back their non-tenders
Gillaspie, Patiño, Johnson and McCoy are now free agents. All four have potential to be useful depth pieces. But the Padres didn’t want to commit big league salaries to that group.
Patiño was the only non-tender who had reached arbitration eligibility — meaning he was the only player set to make significantly more than the league minimum. The right-hander is recovering from Tommy John surgery and was always the likeliest to be non-tendered.
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