San Diego Padres Sign Hometown Kid, 5-Year Veteran

He can do a little bit of everything on the baseball diamond, and now, Connor Joe is taking his wide array of skills back home, signing a free agent deal with the San Diego Padres.

The Padres are signing Connor Joe, per @dennistlin pic.twitter.com/WAJVuWIJqv
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) February 7, 2025

Joe has a little speed, a little pop in his bat (at times), and can play a few different positions. He'll be a nice utility guy to add some depth to the Padres roster.

He's been pretty much a league-average bat over his four major league seasons, with an OPS+ of 97.

The Pittsburgh Pirates, where he's spent the past couple of seasons, non-tendered him after the 2024 campaign, not wanting to be on the hook for a projected arbitration payout of $3.2 million.

The Friars hope they got a sneaky-good under-the-radar addition for the outfield, like they did with Jurickson Profar in 2024.

With Jackson Merrill locked in in center field and Fernando Tatis Jr. in right, Joe could occupy some time in left field, where the team's options are thin. He could also spell Luis Arraez at first, sending him to the DH spot on occasion.

His best season was 2021 in Colorado with the Rockies, when he slashed .285/.379/.469 for an .848 OPS in 211 plate appearances. Two years later in Pittsburgh, he set his career high with 11 homers in 472 PAs.

Overall, he has career marks of .242 with a .337 on-base and a .728 OPS.