The Padres continued their work around the fringes of the 40-man roster, signing utilityman Tyler Wade to a one-year deal with a club option for 2026 and casting four others into free agency ahead of Friday’s non-tender deadline.

Three of the four non-tendered players — reliever Logan Gillaspie, outfielder Bryce Johnson and infielder Mason McCoy — had bit roles on the 2024 team. The other, right-hander Luis Patiño, was lost for the season to Tommy John surgery after returning to his original organization last December as a waiver claim.

This week’s transactions, which included protecting pitching prospects Henry Baez, Ryan Bergert and Omar Cruz from the Rule 5 draft, sets the Padres’ 40-man roster at 33 as next month’s winter meetings approach.

Wade and Patiño represented two of the Padres’ eight arbitration-eligible players, with Luis Arraez projected to lead that group with a $14.6 million payday according to MLBTradeRumors.com.

Wade will make $900,000 in 2025, according to multiple reports. Patiño was due to make $800,000, according to MLBTradeRumors.com, before he was non-tendered on Friday.

Patiño originally signed with the Padres as a 16-year-old in July 2016, developed into a top-100 prospect and headlined the prospect package that pried Blake Snell from the Rays ahead of the 2021 season.

Now 25 years old, Patiño has a 5.02 ERA over 136⅓ innings in the majors. The Padres claimed him from the White Sox last offseason and he called San Diego “home” as he rejoined the team in spring training, so Patiño could be a candidate to continue his Tommy John comeback with the Padres on a minor league deal.

Patiño was out of options in 2024 and spent the season on the 60-day injured list.

As for the others non-tendered on Friday, Gillaspie, Johnson and McCoy were all newcomers to the organization. Gillaspie was claimed last November and had a 7.15 ERA over 11⅓ innings as an up-and-down reliever. Johnson and McCoy joined the team on minor league deals and were called up from Triple-A El Paso as injury fill-ins for Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ha-Seong Kim, respectively. The switch-hitting Johnson penned a .206/.286/.238 batting line over 73 plate appearances; McCoy hit .204/.278/.245 over 57 plate appearances.

The 29-year-old Wade also joined the team on a minor league deal, but he won a job out of spring training as a versatile glove who saw a lot of action at third base early in the season as Manny Machado eased back from offseason elbow surgery.

The left-handed-hitting Wade ultimately saw time at third (31 games), second base (15), shortstop (13), left field (12), right field (7) and center field (2). He quickly became a clubhouse favorite, was 8-for-9 on stolen base attempts as the team’s best speed option off the bench and was the team’s best bunter.

Wade hit just .217/.285/.239 in his first season in San Diego, but a penchant for big hits and the ability to get the bat on the ball outweighed the pure production as a bench option the team deemed worthy of carrying into the 2025 season.

Originally Published: November 22, 2024 at 5:28 PM PST