Filling out their minor-league rosters in the upper levels is another item on the Padres’ busy offseason agenda, but one name is already in the fold:
Tirso Ornelas.
The 23-year-old outfielder will return to the organization on a new minor-league deal. Ornelas was among the players who’d reached minor league free agency via six full seasons, but the Padres worked quickly to secure a reunion with a prospect who’s been a regular in top-30 rankings since signing for $1.5 million as part of the team’s 2016-17 international amateur haul.
Ornelas is coming off his best season yet, hitting .285/.371/.452 with 15 homers and 75 RBIs as he advanced from Double-A San Antonio to Triple-A El Paso.
He’s a corner outfielder without a ton of range and will have to slug quite a bit more to begin to carve out a big-league role off the bench.
To date, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Ornelas has a .387 slugging percentage across parts of seven minor league seasons.
Ornelas paired 11 homers with a .473 slugging percentage this year in the Double-A Texas League and then hit .285/.358/.425 in 55 games in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
He was left unprotected from last year’s Rule 5 draft, was not called up this season and would have to be added to be added to the 40-man roster if the Padres want to protect him from this year’s Rule 5 draft.
Currently playing in the Mexican winter league, Ornelas is ranked No. 30 among Padres prospects by MLB.com.
The Padres also reached new minor league deals with shortstop Ray-Patrick Didder, catcher Juan Zabala and right-handers Moises Lugo and Nolan Watson.
The following Padres minor-leaugers are now free agents:
- C: Michael Cantu, Michael De La Cruz, Alison Quintero, Chandler Seagle
- INF: Juan Fernandez, Tim Lopes, Carlos Luis, Rangel Ravelo, Yorman Rodriguez, Max Schrock, Jantzen Witte.
- OF: Eddy Beltre, Eizon Delgado, Daniel Johnson, Luis Liberato
- RHP: Lake Bachar, Edwuin Bencomo, Aaron Brooks, Drew Carlton, Efrain Contreras, Anderson Espinoza, Wilmer Font, Eric Hanhold, Nick Hernandez, Henry Henry, Jared Koenig, Justin Lopez, Sean Poppen, Angel Sanchez, Jake Sanchez, Domingo Tapia
- LHP: Daniel Camarena, Brian Gonzalez, Aaron Leasher, Gabe Morales, CD Pelham, Noel Vela.
