The Padres are expected to sign outfielder Carlos Rodriguez to a minor league deal, Britt Giroli of The Athletic reports. The agreement includes an invitation to Major League Baseball spring training. Not to be confused with the Brewers pitching prospect or the Rays executive of the same name, Rodriguez only recently entered the Braves’ system.
Rodriguez ranks among Atlanta’s top 30 prospects after signing as a minor league free agent before the 2025 season. FanGraphs and MLB.com both rank him at No. 25. The 22-year-old pitched in 10 games at Double-A before being promoted to Triple-A. Rodriguez hit a flat .640 at Gwinnett but did hit a career-high eight homers and stole 17 bases. After the season, he became a minor league free agent again.
The Milwaukee Bucks signed Rodriguez as an international free agent in 2017. He continued to improve in the lower minor leagues, hitting well over .300 in his first two professional seasons. Rodriguez slipped to a 91 wRC+ in his first try at High-A in 2021. He repeated that level in 2022 and hit a respectable .268/.355/.415.
Rodriguez took a similar route at Double-A, finishing near league average in 2023 before having one of his best seasons to date in his second try. FanGraphs ranks Rodriguez (outfielder) as the Brewers’ No. 34 prospect in the 2024 class. As a 23-year-old repeat prospect in Double-A, Rodriguez posted a career-best 130 wRC+, walking more than striking out. This performance earned him a promotion to Triple-A, but outside of strict rebounding discipline, his production declined.
Rodriguez, 24, will now have a chance to earn a spot in the majors with San Diego. Despite the limited sample size, he’s had solid spring seasons in back-to-back seasons. Rodriguez is 6-for-13 in 10 spring games with the Brewers in 2024. He had five hits and stole one base in 16 at-bats with the Braves last spring.
Photos by Kim Klement Neitzel, Image Images
