Former Padres Infielder Involved in Lopsided Trade Returns to NL West

It's his fourth NL West team in a pro career that began in 2015.

May 7, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Matt Beaty (center) leaves the game after an injury sustained during the second inning against the Miami Marlins at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports | Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

On a list of all the trades A.J. Preller has made, the deal to acquire Matt Beaty from the Dodgers for pitching prospect River Ryan ranks somewhere near the bottom.

To recap: Beaty played 20 games for the Padres, hit .090, and was cut later in the 2022 season. Injuries have limited Beaty to exactly 162 games at any level since his 120-game campaign with the Dodgers in 2021. The return for Los Angeles? Only pitcher River Ryan, a consensus top-50 prospect.

San Diego has long since moved on from Beaty, but the utility player is moving back to the National League West. The Arizona Diamondbacks inked Beaty to a minor league deal on Monday. Tuesday, Beaty was assigned to the Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliate, the Amarillo Sod Poodles.

To the extent Beaty will brush up against any of his former Padres teammates, at the moment it's likely to happen at the Triple-A level. He split last season with the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals, playing a total of 30 games. Beaty's combined slash line (.230/.347/.295) was consistent with his high-on-base, low-power profile at the plate.

Beaty will have to earn his way back to the big leagues, but at least he's healthy enough to have the chance. He remained a free agent throughout spring training and the month of April before joining his fourth NL West organization in a pro career that began in 2015.