Padres Bring Back Infielder, Sign Pitcher as First Official Offseason Moves

The Padres might have identified an internal Ty France replacement.

Kansas City Royals first baseman Nick Pratto (32) delivers a pitch in the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Kauffman Stadium on June 11, 2024. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The San Diego Padres' offseason is quietly underway.

According to MadFriars on Twitter/X, the Padres have already signed two players to minor league contracts: first baseman/outfielder Nick Pratto and pitcher Angel Hernandez.

Of the two names, Pratto is the most intriguing. Released from his minor league contract with the Texas Rangers in June, he signed with the Padres one day later. Pratto finished the 2026 season at Triple-A El Paso, slashing .271/.377/.441 in 71 games.

That performance wasn't loud enough to force the Padres into calling him up during the season, but apparently it did earn a call to Pratto's agent once the season was over.

A former top prospect, Pratto was the 14th overall selection in a relatively weak 2017 MLB Draft class by the Kansas City Royals.

Pratto played five minor league seasons prior to his big league debut in 2022. He played 145 games from 2022-23, slashing .216/.295/.364. His strikeout rate rose (to 40%) and his walk rate fell (to 8.4%) from Year 1 to Year 2. The Royals didn't give Pratto a chance to turn it around in Year 3.

After he was outrighted off Kansas City's 40-man roster in March 2025, Pratto hit .196/.289/.331 for Triple-A Omaha, then became a free agent.

The 2026 campaign was a tale of two seasons for Pratto. After joining the Padres, his walk rate rose (from 5.9% to 14.6%) and his strikeout rate fell (from 32.7% to 17.8%). Pratto is still only 28 years old, so it's not unreasonable for the Padres to think he still has plenty of baseball left.

Nor is it hard to discern why Pratto was interested in a reunion. The change of scenery clicked. Whether or not the El Paso Chihuahuas' coaching staff was directly responsible for Pratto's midseason turnaround, Pratto himself understandably wants to keep it going.

It's unclear whether his new contract includes an invitation to 2027 spring training, whenever it's held. If it does, Pratto deserves a place on any short list of internal candidates to replace Ty France if the Padres are unable to re-sign the first baseman in free agency.

Pratto also spent time in left field and at DH in El Paso in 2026.

As for Hernandez, the 23-year-old from Michoacan, Mexico resurfaced in the Mexican League one year after he was released by the Miami Marlins in November 2024.

Hernandez is currently pitching for Hermosillo in the Mexican Winter League after he made 16 relief appearances for Oaxaca (1-0, 7.66 ERA) during the Mexican summer league season.

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