The San Diego Padres have been busy this offseason, and while a lot of trade rumors haven’t fully materialized, more moves could be on the horizon for the Padres this offseason.
But, in the meantime, signing free agents to round out the roster and add fliers is what A.J. Preller and most other organizations are doing.
And according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, that’s the kind of move the Padres just made. They’ve reportedly signed a veteran lefty pitcher, formerly with the Seattle Mariners, to a one-year, $1.5 million deal.
Padres to sign ex-Mariners lefty pitcher to $1.5M deal
“Veteran lefty Marco Gonzalez to Padres,” Heyman reports. “Minors deal with MLB camp invite $1.5M if makes team with $1M incentives.”
Marco Gonzalez is a 33-year-old veteran lefty who’s been pitching in the Major Leagues since 2014. While he missed 2016, he’s pitched in 10 seasons, not including 2025.
In his career, the lefty pitcher has a 4.16 ERA with 170 appearances and 162 starts. Gonzalez had a 4.54 ERA in seven outings in 2024 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but didn’t sign with a team last year to play in the Majors.
More: MLB Hot Stove tracker: Live updates on news, rumors, signings and trades for 2025 free agency
Now, he’s joining the Padres roster for a chance to make the Opening Day roster. He’ll get some run in Spring Training, as he looks to make a return to the Majors after a year away.
This is a low-risk move for the Padres, and should give the rotation one other potential arm if all works out. But, if he doesn’t make the team, it won’t cost the Padres $1.5 million, as that mark is only if he makes the MLB team out of camp.
