Padres' $4 Million Addition Named Offseason's Best Signing By MLB Insider

San Diego Padres' $4 million addition Miguel Andujar was named the best signing of the offseason by MLB Network's Matt Vasgersian.

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"The best signing of the offseason by anybody: Miguel Andujar."

Matty V and Harold make their X-Factor picks for the Padres in 2026. pic.twitter.com/L8UgukAPCe
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 25, 2026

"The best signing of the offseason by anybody, Miguel Andujar for $4 million to go to San Diego," Vasgersian said. "A.J. Preller waited and struck gold here. Man, he had a great season with the Sacramento Athletics. Finished great with the Reds last year. This guy rips, he mashes.

"And for a team that needed a little pop in the bottom of its lineup, I love the addition of Miguel Andujar in San Diego. Miguel Andujar is going to get four at-bats a game somewhere."

President of baseball operations A.J. Preller enjoys adding versatile players to the roster and Adujar certainly fits the bill. The veteran spent time at first base, third base, and left field last season.

The Padres will likely utilize Andujar as a designated hitter and pinch-hitter. Against lefties in 2025, the veteran hit .389 with a .986 OPS across 93 plate appearances.

Therefore, Andujar could certainly be a regular addition to the Padres lineup against lefties. Manager Craig Stammen revealed players will likely rotate throughout the season as the team’s DH.

“It’s probably a spot that we’re going to keep open throughout the season, be able to give Manny [Machado] a day DH-ing, Xander [Bogaerts] a day DH-ing, Fernando [Tatis Jr.], [Ramón] Laureano, [Jackson] Merrill,” Stammen said. “I think it’s a strategic way to keep those guys a little fresher during the season.”

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Miguel Andujar Overlooked Early in Career With Yankees

Andujar's journey through the majors is one of adversity. The slugger began his MLB career with one of baseball's greatest franchises, the New York Yankees.

In 2018, Andujar was the AL Rookie of the Year runner-up behind Shohei Ohtani following a stellar performance at the plate where he hit .297 with 27 home runs and 92 RBIs. By 2022, he was a Yankees castoff after being designated for assignment to clear roster space for the team.

A torn labrum in his right shoulder played a role in his decline with the organization. Flash forward to 2026, and Andujar is looking to reclaim his dominant ways with the Padres after spending last season with the Athletics and Cincinnati Reds.

As Vasgersian said, Andujar gives the Padres some much-needed pop in the bottom of the lineup. While he will be competing for at-bats to start the season, a strong performance in spring could perhaps propel him to become a familiar face in the order.

Thus far this spring, the veteran has recorded two hits in seven at-bats with one home run and one run batted in. If all goes according to plan, Andujar could very well be another succesful under-the-radar pickup masterminded by Preller's front office.

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