The Padres used the first official day of the offseason to recoup some of the value given away in the Adam Frazier trade.
Infielder Tucupita Marcano was claimed on Thursday as the Padres set their 40-man roster. Additional moves included catcher Chandler Seagle and right-hander Drew Carlton outrighted to Triple-A El Paso and Blake Snell, Josh Hader, Gary Sanchez, Luis Garcίa, Drew Pomeranz, Garrett Cooper, Ji-Man Choi, Jurickson Profar and Rich Hill all filing for free agency as expected.
Decisions are still coming on the player/team options attached to the contracts of Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, Nick Martinez and Matt Carpenter.
Marcano was shipped to the Pirates in July 2021 alongside outfielder Jack Suwinski and Michell Miliano for Frazier, who had a year-plus of team control and was in the middle of a career year that saw him selected to his first All-Star Game.
Frazier, however, saw his OPS drop from .836 to start 2021 with the Pirates to .662 after the trade to San Diego and was sent to the Mariners after the season for left-hander Ray Kerr and a minor league outfielder.
Suwinski has 45 homers and a .758 OPS over the last two years in the majors, but the 24-year-old Marcano hit .221/.267/.334 in 124 games over the last two seasons with Pittsburgh.
Once a prospect in the organization, Marcano figures to provide the Padres with organizational depth, if he remains on the roster during what’s sure to be a busy offseason for General Manager A.J. Preller.
Nelson Cruz retiring
Cut by the Padres in July, Nelson Cruz, 43, said he was retiring after 19 years in the majors. Cruz relayed the news on “The Adam Jones” Podcast on Thursday.
Cruz hit .245/.283/.399 with five homers in 49 games after signing a $1 million deal with the Padres.
He’s retiring with 464 career homers, seven All-Star nods and four Silver Slugger awards.
