Despite boasting plenty of star talent, both the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres have had trouble recently settling on a dependable outfield group.
For Atlanta, injuries were the main culprit. San Diego, on the other hand, simply lacked enough outfield options, which led them to acquire former Orioles outfielder Ramón Laureano at the July trade deadline. With Laureano joining Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatís Jr., the Padres appear to have a more defined outfield picture heading into next season.
Still, San Diego decided it needed an additional minor-league outfield option—and acquiring one meant parting with a player from the Braves’ system.
Braves outfielder agree contract with the Padres, as listed in the official MLB.com transactions log. Although the deal was finalized on Tuesday, it didn’t appear on the log until several days later.
Rodriguez, who will turn 25 in December, was previously considered a consensus Top 30 prospect in the Brewers organization. He joined Atlanta on a minor-league deal last November and spent this season in their system. He offers a balanced skill set—though not much power—and MLB Pipeline currently grades him at 50 or better in running, fielding, throwing, and hitting for contact on the 20–80 scouting scale.
Across 138 minor-league games this year, including 128 at the Triple-A level, Rodriguez posted a .254/.324/.326 slash line and set personal bests with eight home runs and 20 steals.
The Braves used one of his option years this season, but he still has two remaining and isn’t on the 40-man roster, giving the Padres plenty of roster flexibility as they continue to search for a fourth-outfielder solution.
Leave a Reply