The Padres’ offseason has started with two low-key moves, and one of them comes with a little more intrigue than the other.
According to MadFriars on Twitter/X, San Diego has signed first baseman/outfielder Nick Pratto and pitcher Angel Hernandez to minor league contracts. Pratto stands out as the more notable addition, especially after a season that ended with him flashing enough life at Triple-A El Paso to get another look from the Padres.
Pratto’s path has been a winding one. The former top prospect was taken 14th overall by the Kansas City Royals in the relatively weak 2017 MLB Draft class, then spent five minor league seasons before reaching the majors in 2022.
Over 145 big league games from 2022-23, he hit .216/.295/.364. His strikeout rate climbed to 40%, while his walk rate dipped to 8.4% from Year 1 to Year 2, and Kansas City never gave him a chance to rebound in Year 3.
After being outrighted off the Royals’ 40-man roster in March 2025, Pratto hit .196/.289/.331 for Triple-A Omaha before becoming a free agent. He later signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers, was released in June, and then joined the Padres one day later.
From there, the 2026 season turned into a much better story. In 71 games at El Paso, Pratto slashed .271/.377/.441.
His walk rate jumped from 5.9% to 14.6%, and his strikeout rate dropped from 32.7% to 17.8%.
He also saw time in left field and at DH for the Chihuahuas, which gives San Diego some added flexibility if he keeps trending the right way. At 28, Pratto is still young enough for the Padres to believe there’s more in there, and it’s easy to see why he’d want to stick around after the change of scenery worked.
It’s not clear whether his new deal includes an invitation to 2027 spring training, whenever that takes place. If it does, Pratto would belong on the short list of internal options to replace Ty France if the Padres can’t re-sign him in free agency.
Hernandez is a different kind of pickup. The 23-year-old from Michoacan, Mexico, reappeared in the Mexican League a year after the Miami Marlins released him in November 2024. He made 16 relief appearances for Oaxaca in the Mexican summer league season, going 1-0 with a 7.66 ERA, and he’s currently pitching for Hermosillo in the Mexican Winter League.
In Other News...
Padres Rotation Gamble Could Leave A.J. Preller With Another Big Question
The Padres are again staring at the same offseason problem that has followed them for much of A.J. Prellers tenure: how to patch together enough reliable starting pitching without overcommitting to the wrong arm. One possible answer is Foster Griffin, whose recent work after returning from Japan has put him on the radar for a three-year, $39 million deal and made him a name worth tracking as San Diego sorts through rotation options.
Griffins path also invites the kind of caution that comes with any bet on a pitcher whose value has surged in a short window, especially when the comparison to Erick Feddes career arc hangs in the background. Even if Griffin ends up in brown and gold, the Padres would still need more than one addition to feel comfortable about the depth behind him, which leaves Preller with another familiar question to answer before the rotation is truly set. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Value Rankings Just Fueled A Bigger Debate About This Roster
Bleacher Reports 2026 Moneyball Rankings offered a useful snapshot of where the Padres got the most bang for their buck, and it pointed straight to two of the clubs quieter value plays. Ty France and Mason Miller came out as San Diegos most valuable players by net value, with France delivering 4.5 WAR on a $2 million salary and Miller adding 3.1 WAR on a $4 million salary, a reminder that the rosters best returns have not always come from the biggest names.
The broader picture was less flattering, though, with San Diego landing 22nd overall and posting a $45.6 million net value for the full roster. That ranking only sharpens the conversation around some of the clubs heavier contracts, especially with players like Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado not matching salary expectations and with the team still navigating recent pitching additions and looming free agency decisions for key pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Offseason Pressure Is Rising As Rotation Questions Keep Building
The Padres offseason has already been defined by turnover, with 11 position players reaching free agency and leaving plenty of work for the front office before spring training even gets close. Ty Frances strong 2026 season gave San Diego at least one familiar name to think about, even if his contract projection suggests the market may not make a reunion simple. Around the same time, the clubs pitching needs have only become more obvious, and the search for answers is shaping the winter conversation as much as any move on the position-player side.
One name surfacing in that mix is Nick Martinez, as the Padres have been linked to the Tampa Bay Rays right-hander while they try to stabilize the rotation. Michael King remains the arm many fans are hoping to see back in the fold, which only adds to the sense that the staffs shape is still very much unsettled. Even the organizations broader news cycle has had an offseason feel to it, with the San Antonio Missions announcing a new alternate identity for 2027, a reminder that there is plenty changing throughout the system while the big-league club sorts out its most pressing questions. [Read more 🡒]