Former Padres Top Prospect Flameout Signs With Mexican League Team

Mar 2, 2021; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Michel Baez throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fourth inning during a spring training game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic | The Republic-USA TODAY NETWORK

Former San Diego Padres right-hander Michel Baez has re-signed with the Mexican League’s Sultanes de Monterrey, according to a report from Francys Romero.

Baez pitched for the team during the 2024 season making just seven appearances and pitching six innings.

Cuban right-handed pitcher Michel Baez has signed with the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League for the 2025 season, per source.

The 29-year-old previously played for the San Diego Padres in MLB from 2019 to 2022. pic.twitter.com/im9dnKJtzb

— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) February 21, 2025

However, he struggled with a 7.50 ERA, issuing four walks and hitting a batter while recording five strikeouts.

Báez joined the Padres out of Cuba before the 2017 season and quickly rose to become a consensus top-50 prospect. He was ranked No. 5 in 2018.

I remember when I thought Michel Baez was going to be the next breakout Padres reliever.

2021/22 feels like so long ago- pic.twitter.com/h1NAC7DXYc

— Diego Garcia (@StatNerd_Base) January 16, 2025

The 29-year-old made his MLB debut in 2019 and impressed early, posting a 3.03 ERA (139 ERA+) over 29.2 innings. However, his 21.4 percent strikeout rate and 10.7 percent walk rate resulted in a 4.36 FIP, hinting at some underlying concerns.

Despite those numbers, his transition to the bullpen seemed to be a success, and he was expected to be a key piece of San Diego’s relief corps for years to come.

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Things didn’t go as expected for Báez.

After his strong 2019 debut, he appeared in just five more MLB games, with three coming during the shortened 2020 season. Tommy John surgery sidelined him in 2021, and he didn’t return to the majors until 2022, making only two brief appearances for the Padres.

Ahead of the 2023 season, he was designated for assignment and outrighted to the minors, where he spent the entire year before being released in December.

Báez struggled in the minors over the past two seasons, posting an 8.44 ERA in 24 Triple-A appearances in 2022. His 2023 numbers weren’t much better, with a 7.90 ERA at Triple-A and matching 6.75 ERAs at both Double-A and High-A.

His struggles extended beyond just ERA, as he walked 13.4 percent of batters faced while striking out only 17.4 percent across all levels that season.

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