Padres Officially Release Former Rays, Nationals Outfielder Amid All-Star Break

The Padres moved on from the former first-round pick.

Jun 17, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; A detail view of a San Diego Padres hat on a glove in the dugout in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres released a former first-round pick outfielder from the organization amid the All-Star break.

Outfielder Nick Schnell was released this week, per the team's transaction log on MiLB.com. Schnell was officially released by the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, with whom he's spent the entire 2026 season.

Schnell, 26, joined the Padres on a minor league deal this past December. It was an under-the-radar move, and one that nearly turned into more as Schnell fought for a spot on the team's Opening Day roster.

Schnell was one of the final roster cuts at spring training, as he hit .237 with four home runs and an OPS of .968 across 38 at-bats. However, he didn't make the big league roster heading into the season, and never earned a promotion after that.

Across 59 games with the Chihuahuas this season, Schnell slashed .239/.320/.479 with 12 home runs, 38 RBIs and an OPS of .798. While the team shuffled through a handful of Triple-A players over the course of the first half, Schnell never got his name called.

Now, he'll look to get that opportunity with another team as he is still yet to make his MLB debut.

Nick Schnell Career History

Schnell was initially drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft.

He was a top 30 prospect in the Rays organization from 2019-20, but then fell out of the rankings as he failed to develop.

Schnell was stuck at Single-A through the 2022 season, and finally made it to High-A in 2023. He didn't reach Triple-A until 2024, where he struggled in limited action and then ultimately hit free agency at the end of the year.

Schnell joined the Washington Nationals on a minor league deal for the 2025 season, splitting his time between Double-A and Triple-A and finishing with a .799 OPS.

The 2026 season was his first full year at the Triple-A level, but he's still ultimately waiting for an MLB opportunity. Schnell has experience at all three outfield spots and first base at the minor league level.

His MLB opportunity won't come with the Padres, as Schnell will now look for his next home. At 26 years old, he still has plenty of time to get to MLB, and potentially even develop into someone who can stick at the big league level.

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