Padres Sign Twins Free Agent Outfielder Coming Off 22-Homer Season

The San Diego Padres added some power to the organizational depth chart on Friday, agreeing to terms with outfielder Kala'i Rosario on a minor league contract. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was first to report the deal on Twitter/X.

Outfielder Kala’i Rosario in agreement with Padres on minor-league contract, source tells @TheAthletic. Previously in Twins’ organization.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 13, 2026

Rosario, 23, became a free agent after reaching Triple-A for the first time in 2026. In 42 games for Triple-A St. Paul, Rosario slashed .298/.350/.563 with 11 home runs.

Two Games. Two Days. Four Home Runs.

Kala’i Rosario had himself a weekend to remember blasting four HRs for the @StPaulSaints 💣💣💣💣

One of them was hit 111.6 MPH🚀👀#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/ZT0EqhrRXd
— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) August 31, 2026

The Twins' former fifth-round draft pick (2020) also played 58 games for Double-A Wichita this year and hit 11 home runs while slashing .232/.375/.419.

Rosario profiles as a right-handed hitting corner outfielder, an area where the Padres could use some depth. They plucked Samad Taylor out of Triple-A obscurity at midseason and watched him hit .316 in 40 MLB games — but only after an injury to veteran Ramon Laureano, and the release of Nick Castellanos, forced them to scramble.

Rosario was the advanced Class-A Midwest League MVP in 2023, when he posted 21 home runs, 94 RBIs and a .831 OPS in 118 games for the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

Kala’i Rosario is your #AFL23 HR Derby Champion! pic.twitter.com/ePL9LVfKsT
— MLB's Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) November 5, 2023

After that season, Rosario participated in the prestigious Arizona Fall League. He slashed .291/.383/.430 in 21 games for the Salt River Rafters. Perhaps not surprisingly, he won the AFL Home Run Derby.

It's typical for players drafted out of high school to undergo several changes along the prospect development path. Rosario, the 2020 Hawaii Gatorade Player of the Year, hit .343 with five home runs and 11 RBIs in 2020 before his high school season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Power has always come naturally to Rosario, but some changes in the batter's box allowed him to take a step forward in 2023.

“I had a wider stance that has let me have less movement in my swing,” Rosario told FanGraphs' David Laurila in January 2024. “When I try to do too much is when things get out of order, so I’m trying to keep it as simple as possible and kind of just let my power play for itself.”

MLB Pipeline ranked Rosario 21st in the Twins' farm system, which was headlined by a pair of corner outfielders (Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez). That, more than any perceived flaw in Rosario's game, might have factored into the Twins' decision to let him walk as a free agent.

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