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Inside The Padres

Padres Officially Release First Baseman, Who Immediately Finds New Home

The Padres signed him just a few months ago.
Noah Camras|
Jul 23, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; A general view of a San Diego Padres hat and glove in the dugout prior to the game between the Miami Marlins and the San Diego Padres at loanDepot park. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
Jul 23, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; A general view of a San Diego Padres hat and glove in the dugout prior to the game between the Miami Marlins and the San Diego Padres at loanDepot park. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres released a first baseman/designated hitter after just a few months in the organization.

It didn't take him long to find a new home.

Leandro Cedeño, who joined the Padres this February on a minor league deal, has officially been released from Double-A San Antonio, per the team's transaction log on MiLB.com.

The Padres released the 27-year-old despite his good offensive numbers after he appeared in just 26 games for the Missions this season.

Cedeño slashed .315/.421/.528 with four home runs, 14 runs batted in and an OPS of .949. He struck out 24 times while drawing 14 walks, and added five doubles, one triple and one stolen base. He was mainly a DH while also getting some action at first base.

Cedeño hasn't played since May 15 after leaving a game with an unspecified injury.

It appears his release was related to a new contract, as it's been reported that he's signing with the Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball.

Cedeño was in the NPB for the last three years.

Leandro Cedeño Career History

Cedeño, who's listed at 6-foot-2 and 264 pounds, is yet to make his major league debut, but has been playing professional baseball for 12 years.

He initially signed with the St. Louis Cardinals as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2014. He spent two years in the Dominican Summer League before coming stateside in 2017.

Cedeño slowly worked his way up through the Cardinals organization, reaching Double-A before heading to free agency after the 2021 season. He signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks ahead of the 2022 season, and reached Triple-A that year, appearing in 14 games and hitting .291 with an OPS of .764.

From 2023-25, Cedeño played in Japan in the NPB. He then got an opportunity with the Padres this year, but is now going back to Japan just a few months after joining the San Diego organization.

Overall, across parts of eight minor league seasons, Cedeño has appeared in 487 games, hitting .290 with 78 home runs, 320 RBIs and an OPS of .835. He appears to have the hitting profile to earn a major league opportunity, but hasn't yet received it yet.

At 27 years old, Cedeño still has plenty of time to reach his dreams of making it to MLB. However, it won't be with the Padres — and for now, he'll continue playing in Japan.

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Noah Camras
NOAH CAMRAS

Noah Camras graduated from the University of Southern California in 2022 with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in sports media studies. He was born and raised in Los Angeles and has extensively covered Southern California sports in his career. Noah is the publisher of Padres on SI after contributing as a writer and editor over the last three years.

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